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By Owen Grundy
Originally appeared in the Villager on November 8, 1945
When Puck made its initial appearance in New York in 1877, Sydney Rosenfeld (afterward noted as a playright and librettist) was its first editor. H. C. Bunner was his assistant at $15 a week. The latter, poet, novelist and practical journalist, succeeded Rosenfeld. It was he who guided its editorial destinies until his death in 1896.
The staff consisted at various times of such noted names as Frederick Burr Opper, F. Graetz, Bernhard Gillam, L. Dalrymple, James A. Wales, and later Keppler's son, Joseph, Jr., Louis Glackens, brother of our late Ninth Street neighbor, William, the outstanding American painter, Gordon Grant and the late Art Young. Among the contributors in prose and verse were Bret Harte, Brander Matthews, Bill Nye, Eugene Field, John Kendrick Bangs and many others famius in letters and humor.
Together with its Republican rival, Judge, which made its appearance in 1887, Puck made an outstanding contribution to the development of caricature in this country. With them began a phase in American political caricature far surpassing anything previously produced on this continent. Dr. Frank Weitenkampf, Village neighbor and perhaps the outstanding authority on political cartoons, says: "Keppler stepped on many toes, but he was never heavy-footed about it. A spirit of gayety and a grace of artistic approach tempered his satire, which was resultingly more subtly effective."
The Puck building at Lafayette and E. Houston Streets, was erected in 1885. On the second floor were the editorial rooms where Keppler, Bunner, and the others used to meet in weekly conclave to decide on the contents of the coming issue, with the will of the majority ruling. Below, on the ground floor, was the domain of Ottmann, the master lithographer, who gave Puck cartoons the full chromatic effect, with the distinction of being the first in the United States to apply color lithography to cartoons.
Henry Cuyler Bunner, author of "The Midge," "Jersey St. and Jersey Lane" (Jersey Street is the little alley on one side of the Puck building), the literary genius who had guided the journal to the zenith of its success, passed away at the early age of 41 in 1896. Keppler had died two years before. Schwarzmann survived until 1904. The ownership of Puck remained in the estates of its founders until 1913, when it was purchased by Nathan Straus, Jr., whose efforts to change its policy and make-up in conformity with the modern trend were disrupted by the first World War. In May, 1917, the paper was bought by George von Utassy, and two months later it passed into the hands of the Hearst Publications. And now all that remains of Puck is its name on the comic section of the Journal-American.
Fortunately, the 100,000 or more drawings made for the publication during its lifetime fell into the friendly hands of Harry Stone, through whose kindness a number of them were placed on exhibition under the title "Pickings from Puck" in the Museum of the City of New York. Dr. Weitenkampf, who was curator of Prints of the New York Public Library, also devoted himself to collecting original Puck maerial, and the rare collection at that great institution is largely the result of his efforts.
The hum of the presses grinding out next Wednesday's issue have long since been silenced in the old building at Lafayette and E. Houston Streets. It is a loft and office structure now, but still owned by the heirs of the Keppler estate. Upstairs in a little office one may find the building's superintendent, Mrs. Albert Janicky, whose late husband managed the building for 41 years, until his death in 1941. The Puck tradition still lingers there.
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