L'Esquella de la Torratxa

L'Esquella de la Torratxa

1920 cover with a drawing by Opisso
Frequency Weekly
First issue 1872
Final issue 1939
Country Catalonia
Language Catalan
April 1912 issue with the Titanic on the cover

L'Esquella de la Torratxa was an illustrated satirical weekly magazine, written in Catalan. Published in Barcelona between 1872 and 1939, it was well known for its pro-republican and anti-clerical stance and would become one of the most important Catalan publications of all times.

History

L'Esquella de la Torratxa, meaning "the cowbell of the turret", was first published on 5 May 1872. It began during an officially-decreed suspension of the publication of La Campana de Gràcia, a more overtly political magazine. It would, however, become very critical of Barcelona mayor Francesc Rius i Taulet and his promotion of the 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition which was seen by many as a wasteful extravagancy.

The magazine had a succession of directors along its existence, beginning with Josep Roca i Roca, followed by others such as Màrius Aguilar, Prudenci Bertrana and Pere Calders. Among the most notable article writers for the magazine were Santiago Rusiñol, under the pen name "Xarau", Prudenci Bertrana, Francesc Curet, Antoni Rovira i Virgili, Gabriel Alomar and Màrius Aguilar.[1]

The main illustrators for the magazine were Apel·les Mestres, Tomas Padró, Josep Lluís Pellicer, Lluís Bagaria, Manuel Moliné, Josep Segrelles, Llorenç Brunet, Josep Costa «Picarol», Joan Junceda, Jaume Passarell, Feliu Elias («Apa»), Jaume Juez («Xirinius»), Romà Bonet («Bon»), Antoni Roca, Ricard Opisso, Rosa Riera and Isidre Nonell. In 1939, after Josep Maria Planes, the director of El Be Negre, was murdered by anarchists some of the illustrators working for that magazine began working for L'Esquella de la Torratxa.[2]

L'Esquella de la Torratxa came out for the last time on 6 January 1939, when General Franco's rebel faction was poised to conquer Barcelona. Since 1872 it had published a total of 3,096 issues.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Joan Torrent & Rafael Tasis, Història de la premsa catalana. Ed. Bruguera, Barcelona 1966
  2. ↑ Lluís Solà i Dachs, Un segle d´humor català, Barcelona, Editorial Bruguera, 1972
  3. ↑ L´Esquella de la Torratxa: la campana que enmudeció en 1939
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