The Punch Pocket Book: a Victorian Business Venture (1843-1881)

International audienceThis article investigates the Punch Pocket Book, a calendar and notebook sold by Bradbury and Evans between 1843 and 1881, as a business venture. Its main object is to examine the distinctiveness of this lavishly illustrated publication (whose main selling point was a coloured fold-out frontispiece drawn by the Punch senior cartoonists) as the expression of its publishers’ business acumen and fine understanding of the volatile and highly competitive Victorian market. The essay also sheds light on the impact of the Pocket Book on the career on some of the Punch artists, whose work the little volumes efficiently showcased and advertised