Mr. Punch's Puzzles: The Riddle of the Week

Once, again, Mr. Punch, with my help, is offering up a true Victorian riddle.  The first person to answer correctly--by posting in the comments--will receive public congratulations.  Some week, I may offer a nifty prize from our online store.  (Why do I always say "our" online store, as if I'm more than one person?).  But, this week, I don't feel like it.

So, here's this week's riddle.  We ask that you don't Google the answer.  Mr. Punch would not find that sporting at all.  Give it a shot and see what you can come up with.  Here we go... No cheating...

This week's is a really "Punchy" one as it comes straight from my Mr. Punch's Pocket Book from 1860.

My first is a fruit that's mellow;

My second is a fish that's yellow;

And my whole by a swell fella

Is used as an umbrella.

And the answer is...

Are you ready for it?

A pear-a-sole (parasol).

Oh, for the fun of 1860!  Congratulations to Darcy and Gene for their clever answers and thanks to all of you who attempted this difficult riddle.  Come back next Friday for another, and easier, of Mr. Punch's Puzzles.

Mr. Punch wants you to always know “the way to do it,” so why not check out our “That’s the way to do it!” products which are available only at our online store.  

Object of the Day: Mr. Punch's Pocket Book, 1860

Last week, I showed you an object from the British Museum—the etched frontispiece from Mr. Punch’s Pocket Book of 1872, and, at the time I teased that today I’d be showing you my own example of this annual almanac. 

So, here it is. I’ve had to take pictures instead of scan the pages because, frankly, this book from 1860 is in pristine condition and I don’t want to be the person to damage it. Forgive me, if the pictures are not as crisp as they should be.

Mr. Punch’s Pocket Book, as I mentioned before, contained everything that a gentleman could need throughout a year, especially if he traveled a lot.

The annual publication was produced from about 1843 to 1881 and contained a variety of useful information as well as carefully selected articles which had appeared in Punch throughout the past year. Each edition featured gilt-edged pages nestled in a red box-grain sheepskin folder. The frontispiece of each unfolded and, until about 1880 was hand-colored, or at least augmented with hand color. 

The frontispiece for the 1860 edition features a comic drawing of women in “new” swimming costumes entitled, “Swimming for Ladies.” As usual, the frontispiece corresponds to one of the articles featured at the end of the pocket-sized publication.

The frontispiece leads to the title page which usually features Mr. Punch holding the Pocket Book, and, typically, the baby poking his head out from it. The idea, of course, is that since this publication is an offspring of Punch, it would be like his baby.

The front page reads:

PUNCH’S POCKET BOOK 

FOR 1860 

CONTAINING 

RULED PAGES FOR CASH ACCOUNTS AND MEMORANDA 

FOR EVERY DAY IN THE YEAR. 

AN ALMANACK: 

AND A VARIETY OF USEFUL BUSINESS INFORMATION. 

The Illustrations by John Leech and John Tenniel 

This book has never been used. It has remained untouched since 1860. The ledger pages are blank. The articles are not dog-eared. It’s nearly perfect. I especially enjoy the articles in the back of the book as well as the little society stories, jokes and riddles.

Many thanks to my parents for finding this remarkable gift for me. I’m so enchanted by it.

Print of the Day: An Etched Frontispiece from Mr. Punch's Pocketbook, 1872

Click image to enlarge

Frontispiece from "Mr. Punch's Pocketbook"
Charles Keene, 1872
The British Museum

Next Friday, you’ll be seeing another of my Christmas gifts—“Mr. Punch’s Pocketbook” from 1860. So, I thought this week, I’d show you a later example of this pocket-sized almanac to give you a sense of the object. “Mr. Punch’s Pocketbook” was the iPad mini of the Nineteenth Century. It contained everything a gentleman traveling by train could ever need from the names of the Royal Family to the cost of postage. It even was filled with beautiful illustrations, stories, jokes and articles which would keep a gent entertained.

So, today, let’s look at this one from 1872. This example lives at the British Museum. All of Mr. Punch’s Pocketbooks included a frontispiece which unfolded into a trifold scene. In this case, we have an illustration by Charles Keene (1823-1872) which depicts “A Matrimonial Hurlingham” This was a pigeon-shooting match wherein eligible bachelors are the pigeons, and the young ladies shoot. Fair enough. Cupid is assisting the ladies, waiting nearby on the right with a string in his hand to deploy a trap.

Even in 1872, each of this lovely frontispieces was hand-colored with watercolor and touched with white gouache.

I look forward to sharing my own 1860 Pocketbook to you next week. I just have to figure out how best to reproduce it without harming it.