Punch Historical Archive, 1841-1992

Product Category: Gale Primary Sources

Series: Archives Unbound

From 1841 to 1992, Punch was the world's most celebrated magazine of humor and satire. From its early years as a campaigner for social justice to its transformation into national icon, Punch played a central role in the formation of British identity � and how the rest of the world saw the British.

The full-text searchable online archive of Punch _ Punch Historical Archive, 1841�1992 _ is now available for scholars, students, and researchers to explore. The archive is an unrivaled resource for researching and teaching 19th and 20th century political and social history on key themes such as World War I and World War II; wars and conflicts; colonialism, imperialism, the impact of new technology; public health, conservation, and environmentalism; social change; and the role of women.

Available as a stand-alone or via Gale's award-winning NewsVault platform, Punch Historical Archive includes:

Approximately 7,900 issues (200,000 pages) from all volumes of Punch between 1841�1992
Includes Almanacks and other special publications, as well as prefaces, epilogues, indexes, and other specially produced material from the bound volumes
Images originally published in full color appear in full color within the archive

An intuitive online platform offers users multiple search paths including:

Basic search
Advanced search by index types: article title, keyword, entire document, caption, or contributor
Limit searches by publication date, article type, illustration type, or special issues
Research tools include specially commissioned essays by scholars
Browse by issue, special issue, or contributor
All articles and image captions are fully text searchable with hit-term highlighting

Gale is pleased to be collaborating with Liverpool John Moores University on the transcription of the Punch contributor ledgers from 1843-1919. With contributions to the magazine unattributed to 1902, information from the ledgers will be incorporated into the Punch Historical Archive, allowing users to identify contributors and better understand the nature of the magazine and the Victorian periodical press.

Key research themes that can be investigated through the Punch Historical Archive include:

� World War I and World War II: Historian Asa Briggs wrote that the World War II numbers of Punch 'recapture the mood of the period perhaps more evocatively than any other source.'
� Wars and Conflicts: Conflicts from the Crimean War to the Cold War, looking in the 20th century at the roles of new international organizations.
� Colonialism, Imperialism, and End of Empire: From Ireland to India, the zenith and decline of the British Empire.
� Impact of New Technology and Modernity: Reactions to urbanization and industrailization, new forms of transportation, technology and communiation, scientific theories of evolution, and the atomic age all appeared in the pages of Punch.
� Public Health, Conservation, and Environmentalism: The rapid growth of the city and the spread of the railways led to rising concerns in Punch over pollution, public health, and protecting fragile landscapes in the 19th century, to the environmentalism of the 1960s and 1970s.
� Social Change: Punch was an acute observer of a changing society documenting family life, Thirties unemployment, the Welfare State, postwar immigration, shifts in fashion, leisure, and entertainment.
� Role of Women: Researchers will find a wealth of material on women's equality, the 'New Woman,' suffragettes, women in the workplace, and women during two world wars.