Description

Puck was an American magazine of political satire and other humor, published in English and German editions in the 19th and early 20th century. It was founded by Austrian-born cartoonist Joseph Keppler and his partners as a German-language publication in 1876. The magazine took its name from the character Puck of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, along with its motto: "What fools these mortals be!"

The First english issue came out in New York in 1877. An earlier version of th the magazine may have been published in St. Louis, but the New York edition seems to have started again with Volume 1, number 1. Puck looked different than other magazines of its day, employing lithography in place of wood engraving and offering three cartoons instead of the usual one. The cartoons were initially printed in black and white, but later several tints were added, and soon the magazine was published in full color. During the 1884 presidential election Puck ran pro-Grover Cleveland caroons that may have contributed to Cleveland's victory in the presidential election. There was also a British edition briefly in 1889 and 1890. Puck published its last issue 1918.

Sources:

https://www.senate.gov/art-artifacts/historical-images/political-cartoons-caricatures/puck-intro.htm

https://www.onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/serial?id=puck - includes volumes available online through the HathiTrust