Punch Library of Humour, Golf Stories. Mr. Punch's Golf Stories, Told by his Merry Men

First published in 1909, this is an undated edition of c. 1920 or slightly later (from other bibliographic sources and one of the illustrations is dated 1918). Pale brown illustrated covers (Mr Punch and his dog), no jacket as issued. Covers a little rubbed and worn at extremities, slight lean, some browning and dust staining to page block, some offsetting and spotting to endpapers, no price, no inscriptions, internally clean and tight, overall a vg+ copy for its age. 192pp, illustrated. The editor of this volume Sir John Alexander Hammerton (1871-1949), was a Scot principally known as an excyclopedist (he worked principally with Arthur Mee). 'Punch' was founded in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and wood engraver Ebenezer Landells, on an initial investment of £25. It was jointly edited by Mayhew and Mark Lemon. It was subtitled 'The London Charivari' in homage to Charles Philipon's French satirical humour magazine Le Charivari. Reflecting their satiric and humorous intent, the two editors took for their name and masthead the anarchic glove puppet Mr. Punch of Punch and Judy. Circulation broke the 100,000 mark around 1910 and peaked in 1948 at 184,000. Sales declined steadily thereafter. Ultimately, the magazine was forced to close in 2002 after 161 years of publication. A very funny series of golfing stories. Quite a scarce book.