New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-01-23
THE PUNCH PAGEANT.
Taoo Generations Of HumoristS-A
Whispering Gallery,

London, January 16
The Punch" pageant is serious attempt to
denote the origin aid development of national
| institution AT the Leicester Galleries there are
over six hundred drawings and nearly two hun
dred objects to illustrate the continuous progress
of comic journal in the course of sixty-eight
years and the associations OF a vivacous band
Of privileged testers. The deal table which in
spred Thackeray's Mahogany Tree" is uncov-
cred that the initials OF the humorous knights
can be seen; the drawings and souvenirs are cat
alogued with as much painstakng care as the
collections in the National Gallery; Mr. Seaman
rattles off some verses. and Mr.. Lucas in
"foreword." throws of this characteristic joke:
" Punch of course, is not so good as ii was;
that is understood; but. having granted that (as
we all so readily do) how good Punch is, none
the less" That quip produces the designed eff
feet of starting discussion the literary and
artistic merits Of the weekly register OF satire
and pleasantly and the precise period when de
cadence set in.
Since there is no letter press to be read and
only the pictures on the walls to be compared. II
IS an easy undertaking to decide whether
Punch has fallen behind its best achieve
ments. There is little doubt that it has done so
in two respects-the pictorial denotement OF po-
ntical situations and social satire directed
life. Mr.. Linley Sambourne Mr.. Bernard Par
fridge and Mr.. Raven Hill can draw effective
cartoons. but their work does not stand out like
Sir John Tenniels these walls. They may
lack situations and subjects. but they do not
succeed in getting S much fun out of politics a
he did, nor are they armed with his resources Of
power in forcing home the ironies of public life.
Cartoons such as Empress and Earl" The
Sphinx Is Silent" the Pas de Deux." from the
ntical Mrs. Gumnlidge," Too Late" and Drop
ping the Pilot" are alike mastery as accurate
summaries of situations and as forcibIe ex-
amples of legitimate satire. As Leech and DOYLE
had not approached these cartoons in briuancy
and effectiveness, so Sambourne and Partridge
have not rivalled them versatile as they are rs
craftsmen Tenniel's principal subjects, Clad
stone and DisraeIi. were superior to the chief
figures of current caricature, and he caught in
spiration from them. Possibly he was not SO
strictly non-partisan he ought to have been,
for the nobility of Gladstone's nature was al
most invariably revealed, whereas his Disraeli
was always insincere. saturnine juggler es-
sehtially un-English in spirit and filing the cup
of Oriental entertainments until il was brinmine
over
In social satire Du Maurier was unrivalled
AS makes the tour of the central room he
looks in at Mrs Ponsonby de Tomkyns's days at
home. witnesses the social aspirations of Pos
tlethwaite. Maudle and Mrs. Cimabue Brown and
the ecstacies Of ineffable youth over a Fra
Porcineo Barbariagianno; watches the Hon
Fitz-Lavender Belairs reading a little thing Of
his own to a circle Of weak-minded but sympa-
thetic women, and enjoys the satire of many
other scenes in semi society, with its at
fectations. feeble fashions and pretensions
Alack! Du Maurier has had no successor. Mr.
Raven Hill has followed Keene and Phil Nav
in portraying the humors of low life and there
is no trained artist to keep eye on the silly
fads Of the middle class and to satirize them
with caustic wit. When these reservations have
been made, there is evidence in this gallery that
the traditions Of Punch" have been honored
and that there has been continuous progress in
the art of Illustrating the comic side of political
and social life. Mr. Sambourne draws with re-
fnement of line, and his cartoons are compost
tons OF exquisite finish Mr. Bernard Partridge
has even greater force and a broader style. and
his cartoons are among the most decorative
which have appeared in Punch" They have
been reinforced by Mr. E. T. Reed, master Of
burlesque whose work has marked individu-
Atty and distinction. About seventy-five art
lists. living. retired and dead are represented in
this exhibition. and they form a school of carca-
ture which is thoroughly English and as progress
sive in spirit it IS sound in method. There
Of representing political situations with entire
truthfulness. The full page Illustrations are IN
tainted with partlsanship. and are enjoyed with
almost equal zest by men of all parties. This
highninded neutrality has impaired dignity to
Punch" and made 1t a national institution
The craftsmen have saved the situation even
when the letter press has been dull the testing
trivial and stale. and the book reviews notices
Of plays, summaries Of Parliament and other
stock features lacking in vivacity. Yet while
Punch" might be funner and fresher than II is
II has not lost the literary character impressed
upon II by Thacleray. Jerrold and Hood The
standards are higher under Mr.. Seaman's editor
ship than they were during the closing years Of
Sir Francis Burnands direction.
The sympathetic visitor finds much to interest
him in this unique collection. There are three
of Thackeray's drawings and several Of his let
tiers There are pages from Punch" showing
the opening of Jerrold's first Caudle. Hoods
Song OF the Shirt" and the famous adnonition
TO those thinking Of matrimony There are