Historic Waco Foundation

📜 Throwback Thursday 📜

This week's throwback takes us back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries with The Boys of New York End Men's Joke Book.

Sold for just 10 cents, this publication by Frank Tousey was a popular dime novel that featured a collection of jokes, comedic routines, and cross-talk dialogue intended for amateur minstrel performances. At the time, these books were widely circulated as entertainment and were commonly used by performers across the country.

Today, publications like this serve as important historical artifacts. While some of the content reflects attitudes and forms of entertainment that are now recognized as offensive or outdated, they provide valuable insight into the culture, popular entertainment, and social norms of the era.

By preserving items like these, we can better understand both how society has changed and the history that has shaped our communities.

Have you ever come across an old joke book or vintage publication? Tell us about it in the comments! 👇

📸 Photo courtesy of the University Libraries Digital Collections