Re: The Pages of Punch

1965: Coping with ‘youff’

This cartoon is very much of its time. Most young people enthusiastically embraced the new culture – especially the music scene.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1965: Ideology during the Cold War

After all this time looking back it’s not that easy to remember that the cold war was thought (by some) to be about beliefs rather than fear and / or naked aggression. As I remember it Marxism is quite boring enough without any need to make it any more boring.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1965, eh? And our academics are still brainwashing students with Marxist principles! Nothing changes.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1969: The scare about the purity of water supply

During the early sixties it was decided that fluoride was to be added to the nation’s water supply in order to reduce tooth decay. A number of people were fearful of some harmful side effect. As I understand it this is no longer generally the case but fluoride is being added to toothpaste. Some water companies are still adding fluoride into the water that comes into our homes.

Moreover, I would think that dentures don’t really need that kind of protection.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1968: The time of the gurus

Gurus and ashrams were all the rage at the time. I rather think that it was the Beatles who made this a popular interest.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1965: The interview

I’m wondering how to read this cartoon. I am guided by the facial expression of the people on both sides of the desk. The interviewer looks untrustworthy and the candidate looks to my mind as somewhat suspicious.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1968: Tourists in France

Either I have forgotten what this is about or it just escaped my notice at the time. A black kepi meant that the wearer was a corporal but that does not help. A black helmet? Would any uniformed Frenchman really have kicked your teeth in? It seems unlikely but the editor of Punch was happy to allow this cartoon to appear. Of course, 1968 saw big demonstrations but here we see just a couple of tourists with a GB sign.

Re: The Pages of Punch

The Gendarmes were/are part of the army controlled by the ministry of defence. They are the ones that wear kepi's and have gold buttons on their uniforms. Maybe the black helmets allude to the visored crash helmets worn by riot police?

Re: The Pages of Punch

Yes, it's a mystery.

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1969: Two of the seven deadly sins

During the middle ages the church taught Christians to avoid the seven deadly sins. They were pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, anger and sloth. In this cartoon we see two obvious sloths. During the sixties lust was very much admired. Indeed, the idea of avoiding ‘sin’ was not fashionable at all.

Re: The Pages of Punch