Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 101, July 18, 1891

Punch was the satirical heartbeat of Victorian England, and this July 1891 issue pulses with the sharp wit that made it essential reading for everyone from drawing rooms to Parliament. The magazine that literally gave the English language the word "cartoon" for its illustrations here deploys both pen and pencil against the eternal follies of social climbing, snobbery, and the desperate performances of middle-class respectability. This particular number features the memorable letter from "Diogenes Robinson" anatomizing the rise and spectacular ruin of Gervase Blenkinsop and Tommy Tipstaff, two earnest climbers whose aspirations lead them to spectacular embarrassment. The satire cuts as precisely now as it did then, because the targets remain timeless: our own social anxieties and the lengths we'll go to for a bit of status. For readers who love Victorian humor, sharp social commentary, or simply want to see how the English have always laughed at themselves, this issue delivers.