Weedon Grossmith (1852–1919) and George Grossmith (1847–1912), were brothers whose father was a friend of Henry Irving (whose theater was managed by Bram Stoker), Ellen Terry and her family, and other theatrical people. Both pursued successful theatrical careers. In 1888 The Diary of a Nobody began to appear in Punch, with text by both brothers and illustrations by Weedon. Its popularity with a wide range of readership was immediate, and has not faltered.
Says Charles Pooter, “I fail to see—because I do not happen to be a ‘somebody’—why my diary should not be interesting.” Surprisingly, Mr. Pooter’s life is fascinating. The fascination is two-fold: firstly, his ast...[SEE MORE]