F.H. Townsend - 1914 PUNCH Magazine Cartoon - Guttersnipes and WWI

The more I see of Frederick Henry (F.H.) Townsend's work in Punch, the more I love it. He was a tremendous pen & ink artist who isn't forgotten today, but is not hailed as much as his more famous colleagues.

Townsend (1868-1920) began drawing for Punch in 1896, becoming the magazine's first-ever art director in 1905. He held that position until his passing in 1920, when Townsend's brother-in-law, Frank Reynolds, took over the position.

This cartoon appeared in the August 12, 1914 issue of Punch. The girl on the lowest step is saying to the others: "I'd give the German Emperor wot; I would, straight. I'd pull every feaver aut of 'is 'elmet". The girl is wearing a boater hat with the label "Formidable" on it (see detail), which likely refers the British battleship of the same name, destroyed by the Germans in 1915.

I love the drawing in this cartoon. The scratchy ink lines and subject matter seems a nod towards Phil May, Townsend's Punch colleague who died ten years earlier. The small details, such as the folks reading the newspaper, the cat and dog, all add charm to the drawing. There's also a Percy Crosby vibe to the piece which I dig.