VOICE OF THE ESTABLISHMENT (1900 – 1953)

At the turn of the century, Punch had already become a national institution and the writers and artists were household names. Readers would crowd outside the offices before the weekly lunches to see their favourite contributors.

Artistically, the detailed cross-hatching of cartoonists such as du Maurier had given way to the freer line epitomised by the work of Phil May, whose work brought Punch into the modern age.

Throughout the first half of the century, Punch was the voice of the British establishment; the first two editors of the century were knighted. Its jokes poked fun at the upper middle classes, but rarely would the victims have been wounded. During both world wars, Punch rose to the occasion, raising morale and being rewarded with large circulation increases.

Simpler styles of drawing had found their way into Punch in the Thirties and Forties. Social comment was still a major subject for cartoonists like one of the first female contributors, Antonia Yeoman (Anton). Post-war austerity, rationing and shortages were the overwhelming subject, though, in the spare shorthand of Fougasse or in an early drawing by William Scully.