Page:The Newspaper and the Historian.djvu/448



Political caricature at first was used exclusively by the great weeklies, like Punch 31 and Harper's, but later it was taken up by the daily press. Each has its special caricaturist and cartoon ist, “ process” methods simplify and expedite reproduction,32

and thus the caricature and the cartoon minister to the desire

for the illustration that expresses in concrete form political theories and abstractions, industrial conditions that are little

understood, and social spheres that are far removed from the reader. It must be remembered, however, that poor paper and rough printing often frustrate the plans of both artist and editor and complicate the result for the historian, and that it is often difficult for the artist to unite historical accuracy with artistic expression and produce a sketch with the speed required.

As historical material, the historian must accept the caricature

war and in politics, it suggests the extremes in society, it is frankly used as a weapon to defeat an end regarded by the caricaturist as undesirable. More than any other form of illustra successful.” He adds later: “ It is extraordinary how deeply- rooted the idea is that a big head andminiature body make a caricature, whereas, of course, it does not in the least. " He believes that “ the genuine caricaturist combines a profound sense of character with such a gift of humour as will enable him to rise above the mere perception of idiosyncrasy or foible, and actually to translate into terms of comedy a psychological knowledge unsuspected by those who uncritically perceive and delight in the finished caricature."

Pp. 114, 115, 110 - 111. The caricatures of Caruso contributed to La Follia di New York " embody and show a distinctive, personal psychology : they present the individual in

his entirety and completeness.” — L. Roversi, “ Introduction ,” Enrico Ca ruso, Caricatures.

In this respect, therefore, they may be considered character sketches rather than caricatures in the usual sense. 31 AtholMayhew, in a chapter “ Follow myLeader," lists very many comic journals - most of them short lived - started in imitation of Punch. - A

Jorum of Punch, pp. 132 - 150. M. H. Spielmann, in “ The Rivals of' Punch ', " names a dozen periodicals incorporating the name in their title . — National Review , July , 1895 , 25 :654 666 . - Some of these rivals had comparatively few illustrations and no car

toons, and evidently grew up in conditions that afforded little material for genuine satire, either of the pen or pencil, such as was found in the original

Punch. See Punch Staf Papers, from the Sydney Punch.

32 “ When I saw the drawings of Burne-Jones coming off the press at the rate of over twenty thousand copies an hour, I knew I was assisting at a revo

lution in art which would be as wide reaching as that started by Dürer or by Bewick ." - J. Pennell, “ Art and the Daily Paper, " Nineteenth century,

October, 1897, 42:653 -662.