Mr Punch in London Town III

Time for some more early 20C treats from The New Punch Library. These cartoons tell you so much about the era, although – like with early cinema and telly – very much from a middle-class perspective, the lower orders talking in theatrical cock-er-ney, for example. But, no doubt seen as a rich vein of material, they are very strongly represented, even if viewed through the prism of caricature. Charladies, beggars, street vendors, manual workers, burglars, domestics and so on. In addition, and as mentioned before, these drawings are also a wonderful and accurate record of the London streetscape and give little clues to pervading social concerns. Note, for example, the poster in the labour exchange, below, inviting immigrants to Australia, for some time after transportation a clearing house for lesser folk and unfortunates.