The complete archive of one of the world¡¯s most famous comic magazines is now available in fully searchable digital form.

Published by Gale, part of Cengage Learning, the Punch Historical Archive, 1841-1992 consists of 200,000 pages. ¡°That¡¯s not just all the weekly issues,¡± explained academic adviser Clare Horrocks, senior lecturer in humanities at Liverpool John Moores University, ¡°but the Christmas almanac and special supplements, too ¨C it¡¯s very much about the complete Punch brand identity. It opens up a wealth of material that has never been studied before.¡±

Dr Horrocks has used the magazine to look at public health campaigns. Others she knows have researched topics as diverse as Italian organ grinders; smoke taxes and pollution; and the cult of ¡°the athletic and muscular¡± revealed in the growing popularity of rowing and cricket.

By the early 20th century, she added, Punch ¡°engages in much debate on women¡¯s suffrage, women¡¯s participation in sport and education, often lampooning both sides. There is a big debate among historians about why it was so patriotic during World War One ¨C was the editor, Owen Seaman, officially instructed to keep the home fires burning?¡± Yet images range from sharply satirical cartoons of a bloodthirsty Kaiser Wilhelm to a touching picture of a wistful Tommy in the trenches.

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A crucial source for insight into 19th- and 20th-century attitudes and social history illuminating everything from colonialism to the Cold War, the Punch Historical Archive is available on subscription or one-off purchase to all academic, public and government libraries.

Dr Horrocks has gone through the old contributor ledgers to provide attributions for all the texts and artwork. A tie-in section on the LJMU website provides sample searches on themes such as fashion and representations of the Irish.

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Backup material includes essays on editors and contributors; teaching and learning with Punch (including seminar exercises that Dr Horrocks has used at LJMU); and the process of putting the archive online.

More contextual and explanatory material will be added over the coming months.

matthew.reisz@tsleducation.com