Rob Chester Posted 3 December , 2013 Share Posted 3 December , 2013 Hello All, I have seen reference to the Defence of the Realm Act being characterised as a little old lady - Dora. I have found a Punch Cartoon from 1919 showing Dora (the old lady) shocked by uncensored news from Versailles. Does anybody know if this was a regular Punch character? Does anybody know if DORA appeared as Dora, a little old lady anywhere else? Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 3 December , 2013 Share Posted 3 December , 2013 Rob The comedy duo Flotsam and Jetsam (Bentley Hillier and Malcolm McEachern), who were popular in the 1920s and 1930s, wrote a song in 1932 called "Down with DORA" which depicted the Act as an old lady in long skirts. The song is a satirical comment on the fact that parts of DORA were left in place long after the war when they should have been repealed. If you don't want to buy the CD, which is available, you can hear the song on You Tube. TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 3 December , 2013 Share Posted 3 December , 2013 Punch August 1918 "Yet one of Mr. Punch's poets, in prophetic and optimistic strain, has actually dared to speculate on the delights of life without "Dora"; Dickens, with the foresight of genius, wrote in "David Copperfield" how his hero "felt it would have been an act of perfidy to Dora to have a natural relish for my dinner." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dycer Posted 3 December , 2013 Share Posted 3 December , 2013 Surely, DORA still exists Surely DORA still exists? Or am I allowed to be that "American" Internet secret Whistle Blower,now resident in Russia? / Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 3 December , 2013 Share Posted 3 December , 2013 DORA did make a comeback in Punch in 1939 - but not as an old lady, rather as a pastiche of Kipling's Tommy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Chester Posted 3 December , 2013 Author Share Posted 3 December , 2013 Thanks everyone. It is interesting that Dora the Old Lady seems appear in 1918 and on into the 1920s (since posting I have found another punch Cartoon 9 April 1919) when people were fed up with the restrictions of wartime. The 1939 image of Uncle Dora as a young man doing his bit to defend the nation makes me wonder if there is any record of Dora as an "attractive young thing" defending and protecting the nation in 1914. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnumbellum Posted 4 December , 2013 Share Posted 4 December , 2013 The 1939 cartoon is an oddity, as the WW2 equivalent of DORA was the Emergency Powers Act (a much more honest title than DORA), which received Royal Assent on 24 August 1939. Although many people at that time would remember DORA, I am not aware of anyone referring to the EPA as DORA, affectionately or otherwise. For a proper evaluation of the cartoon it is essential to have the precise date of publication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 4 December , 2013 Share Posted 4 December , 2013 When I flick my cursor "hand" over the cartoon, I get some text that includes "1939-11-08". Dunno if this means August 11, 1939 or November 8, 1939? Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 4 December , 2013 Share Posted 4 December , 2013 Moonraker August 11th , 1939 as in the you first part of the post. TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 4 December , 2013 Share Posted 4 December , 2013 Moonraker August 11th , 1939 as in the you first part of the post. TR Folks No I don't think so. I've looked at other cartoons in the archive and the convention is clearly month second, day third. So the cartoon was indeed 8th November 1939. I also found this one: Cartoon date 1921 - 08 - 27 so 27th August 1921 David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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