Do you remember a few weeks ago when I posted this picture
from the George Speaight Punch & Judy Archive at the V&A? The engraving depicting Mr. Punch portrayed
by several different hands had been taken from the December 4, 1895 edition of “The
Sketch” Magazine (1893-1959). I’d mentioned
at the time how much I loved to image and wished I could have it for my own
collection.
Well, enter my mother and father who used their
super-sleuthing and antiquing skills to not only find a copy of the image for
me, but also the entire magazine from 1895.
They presented it to me for Easter this past Sunday and, as you can
imagine, I was terribly thrilled.
I very carefully leafed through the antique publication and
smiled happily upon these beautiful sketches of Mr. Punch. And, I very happily read the articles—feeling
as if I was, for a moment, in 1895 and absorbing the news of that early December. Perhaps the most fascinating part of the
magazine, however, was the ads. Seeing items that I write about—now in the
V&A—being sold by their original creators as new—well, that’s just too
exciting. For example, remember this comb? Well, here’s a smaller version of the same
comb being presented as a perfect 1895 Christmas present by Wilson & Sons.
The feeling of seeing these items with which I’m so familiar as antiques and
museum pieces being advertised when they
were first created was, I think, most thrilling.
I’d like to share a few images from the publication with
you. I didn’t take more since it is
quite old and I want to save it from needless wear. Let’s take a look inside…
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