"PUNCHS" FIRST EDITORIAL STAFF.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2310, 30 April 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

"PUNCHS" FIRST EDITORIAL STAFF.

In speaking of the early printing history of " Punch" at Whitafriars, in 1841, the editor of the " Press News," who worked as a compositor on the first number, gives the following interesting particulars : — " Mark Lemon was the editor, Mr Horace Mayhew, was the sub-editor, and Mr Henry Mayhew, a most original humourist and caricaturist, was what was termed the ' universal joke provider and suggester.' He would stand beside the compositor while he was working at his case, and closely watch every movement of his hand in picking up each letter. He said he could not make out however the compositor could keep the alphabetical order box in his memory. So to master the mystery he set to work and learned the boxes for himself, and would often find amusement, when waiting for a;proof, in settiug up a few lines, very slowly at first, but shifting the composing rule, and thoughtlessly laying down the stick the wrong way, generally upset all his work, and so he gave it up in despair, Mr Henry Mayhew was very clever in creating and roughly sketching out many of the small comic column illustrations, and would write the witty inscriptions for them. These would then go to the artist, who sketched out the idea and so cpmpleted it. Most of the inimitable small cuts in the first few volumes of Punch are of his invention. He was always sketching and taking rough notes of everything he saw. The great John Leech called him his indispensable Jackall, or broad grinjprovider. " The various manuscripts of these several writers was as different as their individuality. Mr Lemon, the editor, wrote a fair, readable hand, while Mr Douglas Jerrold's copy was perfectly microscopical ; he would fill a small Bvo foolscape page so closely that it made a column of " Punch" when set up in type. It was read and re-read by him before being given to the compositor, so there was hardly anything to do in his proofs. Mr Gilbert A'Becket was a most peculiar writer. He would lay hold of a leaf of small-post quarto paper, and, by beginning at the top of the left : hand corner, would scrawl away it. a very large hand till he reached the bottom right-hand coiner of it, all the lines all the lines being in a tr,lingular direction across the paper, and when this was set up it would make about twelve lines of matter. He was one of those writers whose thoughts rapidly preceded his pen, and he had to scrible away hard and fast to keep up with them. " On Sundays, after the number had been left for press, the editors, artists and proprietors used to meet at dinner, either at the private residence of the firm in Bouverie-street, or, if the company was unusually large, at the Sussex Hotel in the same street. Such brilliant gatherings of literary men and persons connected with the fine arts seldom took place at any one time and place. Besides Mark Lemon, the Brothers Horace and Henry Mayhew, Douglas Jerrold, and Gilbert A'Bt;oket, the writers, there were the artists-'John Leech, John Tenniel, G. Du Mnirier, ' Phiz,' and occasionally George Cruiiskshank. This latter celebrated artist, however, did very little for 1 Punch.' but he used to sketch :or the firm and some of the writers. Sometimes Charles Dickens would joiu the company when ho hud business that way, as would also Harrison Ainsworth, Shirely Brooks, Tom Hood, the author of the ' Ingoldsby Legends,' Charles Kniurht, and oue or two other eminent publishers, and lastly the firm themselves, Messrs Bradbury and Evans, who were always very popular with the ' Punch' staff of writers. It was a great intellectual treat to have to attend upon any of this company on business matters aftjf dinner was over, and to be able, even if only for a very ,-hort time, to listen to the lively and witty conversation which used to deliuht the whole of then. Douglas Jerrold was always the ringleader in anything- of this sort, and his flow of wit and spirits, after he had taken a few glasses of generous wine, was proverbial. At times he would make those whom he assailed wince again with his bitter sarcasm ; and on other occasions he would set the whole room in a roar with one of his witty remarks by way of a toast, such as on one occasion when he drank success to ' Punch,'by observing that 'he would never lank spirit while he had such good 'Lemon aid.' These meetings often lasted till the small hours on Sunday morning before they broke up. | After nearly forty-five years have passed since the happy, pleasant meetings here recorded took place, it is indeed sad to have to say that not a single individual of these brilliant assemblages is now alive— [what about Tenniel and du Maurier?] all have been swept away by the ruthless hand of Death, and very few, if any, of the printers who were then connected with the work, besides myself, are now alive."