"PUNCH"

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 129, 27 November 1935, Page 10

"PUNCH"

A FAMOUS FABLE

ORIGIN OF THE PAPER

The building in which this Is written rests on the grounds in which the Whitefriars Monastery once stood. A stones-throw away is the office of "Punch." It is a comparatively new building, and it rests on the site of the old building which housed the "Punch" staff from early days until 1930. In the waiting-room of the new offices is a plan drawn by Mr. E. V. Lucas showing that the "Punch" office stands on the site which was originally occupied by the preaching nave of Whitefriars Monastery. This is the only one of a number of interesting items which may be seen in the wait-ing-room, or in the dining-room, where the editor and his staff meet once a week to decide on the principal cartoons for the following issue of the paper. Up to a few years ago the official I weekly meal was a dinner. Now, however, it has been changed to a lunch. The historic table around which the party meets has a rough, unpolished deal top. Round in its congested form, it may be extended by means of extra leaves. In recent years the old table has been fortified by an edging of oak and new legs of oak, but the unpolished deal top remains. 911 it are the carved initials of the editors and the principal artists and writers for the .-journal during the past ninety years. Mark Lemon's initials are there at the head of the table, and those of Shirley Brooks, Tom Taylor, P. Burnand, and Owen Seaman. "W.M.T.," at another place, indicates where Thackeray used to sit. John Leech carved his initials in 1854, and added a curly worm in a bottle, as an extra symbol of his name. George Dv Maurier's initials and those of other men who have made the journal famous can be seen on the table top, some boldly carved, others more modestly. j Around the top of the room are photographs of the principal members of the staff since the foundation. Beneath this portrait gallery are the originals of famous drawings that j have appeared in the journal. Each artist of the staff is expected to prosent one of his original drawings for this gallery. On the mantelpiece are manuscripts ] of interest. There is a copy of the I original prospectus written out after! I a meeting at which it was decided to j start a humorous journal. A heading ] "Fun'1 is crossed out. and "Punch" is substituted. The prospectus begins: "This guffaw-graph is intended to form a refuge for destitute wit, an asylum for the thousands of orphan jokes." There has been much discussion on the subject of the origin of the name "Punch." The general opinion seems j to be that it is a play on the word i used for the famous drink, in which j many ingredients go to make up n pleasant concoction. It is thought that the well-known figure of "Punch," of ; Ihe Punch and, Judy show, was an \ afterthought. One Uiir.T in the mmc ' is drfiniio. Ths secondary title. "The! London Charivari," wns adopted to in- I dicnte what type of n?.oor it was, for ! at the time n Paris Chnrivori was' populnv. and the London public knew : sim"thi'iq about it. The word implies 1 I "back chnt." In up;n<r Ihe name of nj 1 foreign predecessor the founders o£< "Punch" demonstrated a humility ' which soon proved unnecessary.