Punch

Punch, or The London Charivari, was first published in 1841 as a satirical weekly magazine. Founded by Henry Mayhew and Ebenezer Landells, it emerged during a period of intense social and political reform in Victorian Britain. The magazine was conceived as a medium for humor and social commentary, quickly becoming an institution that used wit and illustration to shape and reflect public opinion on the major issues of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The publication is famously noted for its innovative use of political cartoons; the term 'cartoon' as a medium for political satire was popularized by the magazine during the 1843 exhibition of designs for the new Palace of Westminster. Over its long history, Punch featured work by prominent illustrators like John Leech, John Tenniel, and E.H. Shepard. Its legacy lies in its role as a chronicler of the British zeitgeist, maintaining a distinct perspective that balanced sharp satire with the evolving tastes of the British middle class until its closure in 2002.