The Pages of Punch

1967: An uncanny forecast

Today such a scene would not be regarded as humorous.

1968: The other party in the disaster

Bill Tidy has produced an example of gallows humour. The loss of the Titanic was long enough in the past for the ‘joke’ to be in fairly bad taste but not completely beyond the pale.

Excellent :smiley:

1972: Puffed up Self-Esteem

For a few years Posy Symonds produced many really memorable cartoons. Then something seemed to have gone wrong and subsequent drawings were few and far between. A sad loss.

Excellent!
Who has never done this? Come on, admit it!

1970: Singular Preference

A rather extreme example of a common preference.

That brings me to mind of the inate herding instinct that humans demonstrate when faced with a wide open space… they always seem to go as close as possible to the only other human! :smiley: :shock:

Yes, but you know the rot has set in when you pull in your tummy as hard as you can, but said tummy stays sticking out. :frowning: :frowning: :frowning:

In all seriousness now, I have come to the conclusion that trying to pull in one’s tummy is not particularly effective.

I keep trying to remind myself to stand up straight and bend backwards - stick the chest out, just like the sergeant major used to bark.

It’s true. Many older people tend to lean forward with a bent back, and I’ve seen myself doing that without thinking.

1970: Just to make the numbers up?

Bill Tidy pretends that Genghis Khan was there just to make the numbers up. In reality his role was totally dominating.

1970: Eloquent Topiary

No explanation needed here!

1978: The lost photographs

Most people would rather not see their attempt to make up for lost pictures.

1969: Christopher Robin

The readers of Punch would have recognised Christopher Robin, Pooh Bear, Tigger and Eyore. Being washed up was not a term that A.A. Milne would have used in the 1930s but in 1969 it was commonly used.

1969: Yesterday’s Issue

This is one cartoon which doesn’t look eerily up to date. Back in 1969 it was Wilson who was so controversial. Now he is just a distant memory.

1978: Unfinished business from World War Two

The war had ended 33 years earlier yet deserters were still a relevant issue. The ‘joke’ is that you couldn’t expect them to out themselves even in 1978.

:lol: :lol:

1969: Standing up for men’s rights

Contemporary opinion holds that it was the women who were deprived of their rights in 1969. Here we see a domesticated man under a female well-manicured thumb. ‘Hen pecked’ was the term used at the time.

Ha! Ha!..love it :slight_smile:

Yes! Am enjoying these!

So true, especially with northern women, they really did/do rule the roost. :slight_smile: