27-02-2016, 11:10 AM
551
Re: The Pages of Punch
1938: Foreigners!
With the benefit of hindsight we all know what in 1938 was waiting for the Punch community in the fairly near future, namely the outbreak of World War Two. This could not be known at the time. Some people, I am sure, had a good idea of what was to come. Most people preferred not to think about it.
The two Brits holidaying in what is clearly meant to represent Fascist Italy can’t help getting some awareness of the situation. They are not locals and so they are quite safe in not joining the saluting mob. Even if they expressed opposition they would not be molested. At worst there would be some angry shouting and an earlier than planned return to Britain. But the whole point of the drawing is that they are keeping well out of it.
I can’t help wondering if there is message here which says ‘keep out and we’ll be safe.’ This would have been quite typical of the time, however erroneous that would have been. Fascist dictatorships were spreading. Apart from Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy Franco’s conquest of Spain was nearing completion. In addition in Eastern Europe various ‘strong men’ were emerging. The danger was increasing and Punch is accurately reflecting the public mood at the time.
When war did break out Britain was far less prepared than Germany. Hitler’s early lightning successes were due in part to innovative and ruthless tactics but also to this serious military deficit in Britain (and France as well.)
28-02-2016, 10:42 AM
552
Re: The Pages of Punch
1938: In Search of a Business Opportunity
This cartoon is one of a series which transpose modern activities and attitudes into situations from history, mythology or biblical times. As is often the case the joke lies in the absurdity of such a juxta positioning. Many readers of Punch would have known perfectly well that King Nebuchadnezzar would not have wanted his garments invisibly mended even if such a service had been available at the time.
01-03-2016, 10:55 AM
554
Re: The Pages of Punch
1938: A Substantial ‘Hop’
George Belcher has caught a moment of self-awareness though the woman has not expressed herself in the happiest of terms. As he often does he has used his subjects’ feet to convey a lot of information about them. His feet are shod in well-polished shoes and I would guess that his socks are held up with those little sock suspenders. Her swollen ankles are all too evident.
04-03-2016, 10:44 AM
557
Re: The Pages of Punch
1938: The Bank Manager Will See You Now
There used to be a personal relationship with an actual manager who was a pillar of the community. Of course he (and it always was a he then) had a great deal of discretion in making his decisions which were based on personal knowledge of the customer and the local business scene.
Here the cartoonist has caught the nature of the relationship between banker and client. The client in the red is grovelling and the banker is looking down on his customer. When in the black he is greeted by the manager as an equal.
Today the computers have taken over and it seems that the banks are now looking down at all their customers.
05-03-2016, 10:40 AM
558
Re: The Pages of Punch
1938: Another Politically Incorrect Joke
This patronising joke rests on the assumption that the salesman really thinks that changing the label would make the shoe fit. Nobody seemed to complain at the time.
I sometimes wonder what it is that we are now doing or saying that future generations would find incomprehensible. Clearly we can’t imagine what it is or we wouldn’t be doing it.
06-03-2016, 10:44 AM
559
Re: The Pages of Punch
1938: Plutocrats!
Ah! The joys of pressing button A and waiting for a reply before pressing button B. This is a seriously rich man in the phone box. His car seems to stretch for ever. The uniformed flunkey holding his travelling rug is clearly not the driver who is ensconced in the driving seat.
Losing tuppence shouldn’t worry him but it does.
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