15-07-2015, 09:48 AM
311
Re: The Pages of Punch
1935: ‘The Season’
We are witnessing here a scene taking place among the toffs. Each year a new bunch of debutantes was launched onto the marriage market. Ambitious mothers would persuade their husbands to pay for a dance in order to improve their daughter’s chances of finding a suitable husband. At each dance other debs would be invited as well as (of course) suitable young men who were called debs’ delights.
In 1960 a colleague of mine was a debs’ delight. Although he was dancing late into the night he was still trying to do his job as a computer programmer during the day. I have a distinct memory of him fast asleep at the console of the computer – an enormous machine with massive air-cooled cabinets. The whole thing had a minuscule amount of processing power compared with today’s bog standard PCs.
16-07-2015, 09:54 AM
312
Re: The Pages of Punch
1935: Persistent Office System Salesman at the Court of the Great Khan
On this occasion our cartoonist imagines a modern 1930s office equipment salesman arriving at the court of Kublai Khan (1260 – 1294). This is an absurd notion on several levels. The time mismatch is only the most obvious conceit. How could such a ‘foreign devil’ ever be received at this court? And, having been inexplicably received, how could have generated such a courteous refusal? Even more absurd is the notion that a mediaeval Asiatic despot might possibly see the need for a modern filing system.
18-07-2015, 09:50 AM
314
Re: The Pages of Punch
1935: Cup Final Excuses
Attending a family funeral is a most acceptable reason for having a day off from work. It is also the most abused. Here the boss knows perfectly well what the very young office boy is up to. Indeed he is sympathetic to the wish to attend the match. However since he intends to absent himself from the office he cannot allow the boy to do the same thing.
20-07-2015, 09:59 AM
316
Re: The Pages of Punch
1935: Early Introduction to ‘Culture’
She is rather young to be introduced to what went for culture at the time. Mummy wouldn’t see it that way. Today’s parents would not be likely to submit the child (or the rest of the audience) to this kind of experience.
Perhaps the cartoon was intended to discourage the practice.
21-07-2015, 09:48 AM
317
Re: The Pages of Punch
1935: Poor Fido (and Poor Mr. Jones)
George Belcher continues to focus on a very different world from that portrayed by almost all the other Punch cartoonists. In the eyes of his owner Fido is at least as real a person as Mr. Jones. I don’t suppose anyone ever told her that cake is not a suitable diet for a dog. As her close companion she wants to give him things that she likes herself.
I wonder whether she doesn’t possess any other plates?
22-07-2015, 09:44 AM
318
Re: The Pages of Punch
1935: She Wants to Know How She Should React
This cartoon inhabits the same world as that shown a few days ago. From experience the girl knows that after the event a certain reaction will be expected of her. If she gets it right Mummy will be pleased, but if she gets it wrong it won’t be as good. So she thinks the best thing to do is to establish the correct attitude in advance. I wonder if Mummy will be able to reassure her?
23-07-2015, 09:40 AM
319
Re: The Pages of Punch
1935: How Disappointing for Mother
Hoping to see her daughter safely married the mother sees the well-proportioned young man as promising husband material. The blasé daughter knows otherwise. The club’s finances can’t be that sound for her sub to be so important.
24-07-2015, 09:51 AM
320
Re: The Pages of Punch
1935: What’s Sauce for the Goose...
Another cartoon by the incomparable H.M. Bateman.
This cartoon is the counterpart to the one in which a woman listed the required qualities of a possible husband. His expectations are equally self-centred. Owing to the imbalance in the population he has a noticeably better chance of achieving at least some of his aims – although the part about the children is much too far-fetched.
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