VINTAGE BRITISH PUNCH MAGAZINE CARTOON:
BIRTH OF A NATION
"God, Confucius, Marx and Allah
Bless our native Singapore;
May its trade and population
Keep increasing evermore."
(From the Singapore national anthem)
+ Merdeka = independence
Illustrator: L. G. Illingworth, from British Punch humor/satire magazine, May 2, 1956, pulled from the magazine, not a modern reproduction. Size 8 x 10 1/2 inches. Image shown is slightly cropped. Condition: excellent -- low-grade paper with light toning, clean, the page has has been humidified and flattened for best appearance and for framing; backside has unrelated text with some show through (ghosting) on the facing side -- please look closely.
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Leslie Gilbert Illingworth (2 September 1902 – 20 December 1979) was a Welsh political cartoonist best known for his work for the Daily Mail and for becoming the chief cartoonist at the British satirical periodical Punch. In 1927 Illingworth saw his first work published in the satirical magazine Punch In 1945, following the death of John Bernard Partridge, Illingworth was offered the position of Second Cartoonist at Punch working alongside E. H. Shepard. In 1948 he became a member of the 'Punch Table', being invited into creative meetings where the senior staff would discuss the content of forthcoming issues.
Punch, a magazine of humor and satire, ran from 1841-2002. A very British institution renowned internationally for its wit and irreverence, it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration. Punch was the world's most celebrated magazine of wit 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 nation. In its formative years Punch combined humors, illustration and political debate with a fresh and radical audacity. During its heyday in the late 1800s, it reflected the conservative views of the growing middle-classes and copies of it could be found in the libraries of diplomats, cabinet ministers and even royalty. In the Western world, Punch played a significant role in the development of satire. In the world of illustration, it practically revolutionized it. Over the decades as it charted the interests, concerns and frustrations of the country and today it stands as an invaluable source of cartoon art, satire, but as primary source material for historians.