First Publication of Punch Magazine

The comedic illustrated magazine was first published as Punch, or the London Charivari. This was in reference to Charivari, an illustrated satire magazine that ran from 1832-1937 and was very popular in Paris. The team that created this first version of Punch included founders Ebenezer Landells (1808-1860) and Henry Mayhew (1812-1887), a few shareholders, and a group of artists and journalists including William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863) and Richard Doyle (1824-1883). This first edition of Punch contained sections poking fun at topics such as Prince Albert (1819-1861), the Parliamentary election in Leeds, and the way that people vote. Punch was viewed as a radical publication at this time and, despite selling 6,000 copies a week, they did not sell enough to cover costs.