Obscure Book of the Day: Punch Magazine from 1897

The editors of “Punch Magazine” would occasionally reprint the cover of their inaugural 1841 edition for special editions or advertising specials. Here, we see such a reprint of that cover from April, 1897.  This was given to me recently and I appreciate it greatly.


This special edition of Punch Magazine isn’t a full edition, but rather a fold-out dedicated to the debate of whether or not dogs in the City of London should be muzzled. The edition consists mostly of ads and cartoons.

Each time the 1841 cover was reproduced, little changes were made. In this instance, you’ll see that Dog Toby sits upon a stack of “Punch” Magazines as opposed to the original engraving which shows him seated upon a crate.

Let’s take a look inside.