1935: I Will Take My ‘Business’ Elsewhere
He isn’t going to fare any better at the Magnifique.
There must have been a mountain of bouncing cheques during the Great Depression.
1935: Showing Willing
The two guests appear to be on a walking tour or possibly a cycling holiday and are stopping overnight at this unpretentious country inn. I think that we are intended to recognise them as intellectual heavyweights such as leading academics or famous authors. The waiter no doubt is not very far from being the village idiot.
The two brainboxes wish to settle a matter of fact and the waiter imagines that he might know the answer. I wonder how tactfully the guests are going to reply.
1935: Mrs Malaprop is Alive and Well
This ever-popular type of joke made regular appearances throughout most of Punch’s history.
1935: Cultural Differences
This could have been seen as an ‘aren’t foreigners funny’ type of cartoon.
On the other hand John is absolutely correct. They are not witnessing a fight. The correct route to be taken has merely given rise to many opinions all forcibly expressed.
I am assuming that John has already spent a fair amount of time in that country and the lady has just arrived. Possibly they were married during his leave ‘back home’ and she has now come out to join him.
1935: Ignorance of the Empire
During his army service the Captain looks as though he must have spent many years in India. Naturally this has influenced his vocabulary. The readers of Punch will know that Mr. Simpson had been given a big compliment which he didn’t recognise, thinking that he been insulted. I would guess from her demeanour that that the lady behind the bar (the proprietor of the pub?) didn’t recognise it either.
1935: Starting Early
I can think of two ways of looking at this joke.
It may simply be about a boy who feels that he is getting into practice for his chosen profession.
On the other hand it could have ideological overtones. In this view the boy’s mother is maintaining traditional values of behaviour whereas her son has caught the ‘modern’ outlook which says that in the pursuit of your aims it is justifiable to ditch those traditions.
The drawing doesn’t contain any clues as to how to interpret it. Not that it matters at all, but I am unable to decide between the two.
1935: Wonky Bridge in China
This is surely a tall story. How could the guide know that it had not been crossed by another European since 1280?
This kind of thinking is also present in a recent book (Did Marco Polo Go to China?) by Frances Wood who was until her recent retirement the Curator of Chinese Collections at the British Library. Put simply she shows that what he does describe was already known to literary sources available in Europe. More tellingly she lists things that he doesn’t mention which were there to be seen if he had actually gone there. These things include the Great Wall of China, their distinctive form of lettering and the practice of footbinding. This last involved not only binding the feet but actually breaking some of the bones in the foot so that women were unable to walk properly but could only totter on the tips of their feet this being considered to be very alluring.
Looking this topic up in Google I see that the argument rages as to whether Polo really did or did not visit China. After more than seven centuries it isn’t possible to prove or disprove the veracity of his claim. My personal opinion is that there is more than a hint of doubt about his account.
1935: Another Bossy Woman
The difference here is that she is bossing members of her own class rather than just ordinary people. She and Chu-chu are clearly travelling in a first class compartment.
1935: Another Schoolgirl Joke
Here again George Belcher takes us into an Elementary School for Girls. The teacher is being presented with a very skimpy bunch of flowers with a suitably ‘altruistic’ excuse.
Once again the teacher is being presented as harassed and downtrodden. This hardly served as a recruitment advertisement for that branch of the teaching profession. On the other hand it was a completely secure job in a time of widespread unemployment.
1935: Pleasing Gabriel
The woman is clearly a member of the idle rich. ‘Brightgate’ must stand for both Brighton and Margate. The husband, who is not Gabriel, is presumably working hard to keep wife and dog in a manner to which they are accustomed. He probably knows precisely where he stands in the pecking order.
1935: Upholding the Law
The two urchins are aware of the rozzer’s hopes of promotion. He is probably a near neighbour and his promotion prospects would be the subject of local gossip.
The background of the drawing shows the district to be ‘rough’.
1935: Over-Enthusiastic Salesman
I think that this customer would really like to purchase a pet that will beg. Misunderstanding her, the petshop owner claims that this dog would rather go without. Some chance of that! Moreover although I don’t know anything about breeds of dogs I doubt that this particular animal has any sort of pedigree.
1935: A Duffer at Golf
He may lord it over his congregation but here on the golf course, to his shame, he is quite incompetent. His wife and her caddy no longer disguise their boredom. His own caddy sees the possibility of some commercial advantage and uses diplomatic language in order to further his cause.
:-)This is a gem of a thread Mr. Magoo, a delight to look through, thank you.
Thank you for your kind comment, Red Kite.
If you (or anyone else) feel like commenting on any of my postings please feel free to do so.
:-)Thank you… I am happy to lurk, I have always loved Punch cartoons, full of political history. and then there are the different artists/cartoonists …
1935: ‘Knowing’ What Others Want
She has transferred what she wants onto the donkey. That way she isn’t being selfish. This kind of self-deception is also quite common among adults though expressed in a more sophisticated way. Take for example ‘the new timetable is proving to be very popular with our customers.’
1935: Another Duffer at Golf
Wearing the right apparel doesn’t ensure competence at your chosen sport. The caddy clearly knows exactly what is needed.
Acting as a caddy would bring some welcome money into the lad’s pockets. I gather that nowadays golfers pull their own gear on trolleys. Labour saving isn’t a boon to everyone.
1935: Different Kinds of Lunch
George Belcher shows us a pub scene in which two very well fed men are contemplating a drink (or three).
During my National Service days I first became aware of those whose only lunch of choice was of the liquid kind.
Was there any other kind Mr Magoo ? 