"I JOINED THE 'PUNCH' TABLE LAST WEEK, AND CARVED MY NAME ON THE ROLL OF FAME."

In the Almanac of 1894 two artists new to Punch made their appearance—the first, Mr. Stafford, the quondam cartoonist of "Funny Folks;" and the other, the world-famous humorist "Caran d'Ache" (M. Emmanuel Poirée), with a satire on the female craze of the day in respect to M. Paderewski and his flowing locks. In November of the same year Mr. Fred Pegram, who had for three years been one of the "Judy" artists, made his clever appearance in Punch, since then several times repeated; and with Mr. W. F. Thomas—the well-known successor of Baxter as the delineator of Ally Sloper and his low but amusing circle—who appeared twice in 1895, I close my list.

THE STAFF OF PUNCH AT TABLE, 1895.
(From a flash-light photograph, expressly taken by Van der Weyde.)
[View larger image]

It will thus be seen that with the exception of a very few among the earlier comic draughtsmen, and a half-a-dozen others of our own day, Punch has at one time or another engaged the pencils of all the chief English graphic humorists of his time, and has even persuaded notable artists of more serious turn to try their hand at comic work.

In its artistic aspect, at least, Punch is more than a comic journal: it is, and has been for more than half a century, a school of wood-drawing, of pen and pencil draughtsmanship, and of wood-cutting of the first rank; it is a school of art in itself. The effect of its art-teaching has been widely felt, and on this ground alone its doings must command interest and justify a close examination into its rise and progress. So far, too, as one can foretell, its future is safe. Young men are arising who are capable of carrying on its traditions and of bearing its banner bravely and merrily aloft; and it may safely be assumed that, just as the Royal Academy sooner or later absorbs the best Outsiders to adorn its circle and keep its vigour green, so Punch will never lack the ablest men to don his cap and motley and shake his jingling bells.

FINALE: A PROBATIONARY DRAWING (UNUSED).
(By Linley Sambourne.)