13. Today in 1920s Turkey: 30 August 1923 (Back-to-School Edition)

Cartoon by Ahmet Münif, Kelebek, 30 August 1923, no. 21, page 1.

Türkçe
— Oğlum yakında mektepler açılacak yine sokak sokak gezmeye başlayacaksın. Bari tatilde derslerine çalış.

English
— My son, school is starting soon and you are going to start wandering the streets again. At least study your lessons while you’re (still) on break.

Comments:
This cartoon reminds us that late August has meant “back to school” for many youngsters for quite a long time. The text below the image provides humorous insight into the average schoolboy’s priorities. His semi-concerned father points out that during the school year the boy is unproductive suggesting that maybe the time for work is during vacation. In this way the father shines a light on the inappropriateness of slacking off when one should be working by juxtaposing this with the even more ridiculous notion of studying during summer break.

Ahmet Münif was Kelebek’s staff artist in 1923 and the 16-page magazine’s front cover was usually graced by a large opening cartoon or illustration by him. His cover cartoons in 1923 were often unsigned but because his name appeared on the credit line below the journal’s nameplate such works can be attributed to him with relative confidence.

Today in 1920s Turkey has covered a number of examples from the artist Münif’s oeuvre, see below:

#1. Peace Cannons

#69. The Young and the Restless

#117. Geographic Vestigial Dismemberment

#120. Innocent Istanbul, You Deserve Better

#125. The Liberated Nation: Master of What?

Entire page, Kelebek, 30 August 1923, no. 21, page 1. Hakkı Tarık Us Collection, Beyazıt Library, Istanbul.

Originally published at https://steemit.com on August 30, 2018.