What can we learn about humor and speechwriting by looking at cartoons from 110 years ago?

 

At the Internet Archive I have been looking at old issues of the British weekly humor magazine, Punch (from 1912 and before). Much of the humor is about current topics like politics and fashions. But a few cartoons reveal universal humor, and teach us lessons about creativity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One source for humor is putting two different ideas together, like the combination of a cowcatcher and escalator on the front of a double-decker motor bus shown above from an October 16, 1912 cartoon.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A second source for humor is misunderstanding a topic, like another cartoon from that same date showing how a picture framer put the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa upright.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A third source is thinking ahead about technology, like an August 21, 1912 cartoon on pocket wireless receivers (and how we also would like to talk back).  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A fourth source for humor is changing our perspective, like the skylight view of a store sale from January 29, 1902 that lets us see customers behavior.