Punch was founded in 1841 by wood engraver Ebenezer Landells and writer Henry Mayhew. The first issue was published on 17 July 1841. The magazine struggled at first; it had capital of just £25 and circulation was low. Its first editor, Mark Lemon, had the idea of issuing an annual Almanack and this proved to be Punch's salvation. The first Almanack sold 90,000 copies. Punch's long term future was secured when, in 1842, it was bought by printing firm Bradbury and Evans (from 1872 Bradbury, Agnew and Co.). By the end of the 1840s Punch was selling 40,000 copies a week. It continued to flourish through the Victorian and Edwardian eras, and survived the depression of the 1920s and 1930s. In 1969 it was sold to United Newspapers. By the late 1980s circulation was in decline and whereas previously Punch had enjoyed stability in its editorship (just 12 editors in the magazine's first 146 years) the magazine then went through three editors in as many years. United closed Punch in 1992. The magazine was relaunched by Harrod's proprietor Mohamed Al Fayed in 1996 but it closed again in 2002.
British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : CorporateBody : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000081.0x00024c
