Rag Rag : The Rag Rag Annual Magazine, 1928

University of Manchester Student Union

Rag Rag

<p style='text-align: justify;'><b>Content warning: As an historical item, some content in this magazine contains language and imagery that reflect the prejudices of the era, which are offensive, oppressive and may cause upset. This is not condoned by The University of Manchester, but we are committed to providing access to this material as evidence of the inequalities and attitudes of the time period.</b></p><p style='text-align: justify;'> The 1928 Rag Rag magazine was produced by students to raise money for charitable causes around Manchester. This was the fourth edition of the Manchester Rag Rag. It cost sixpence per copy.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'> Features include ‘Who Killed the Butler’, a surrealist parody of detective stories and ‘The sad story of why a Big Business Merger came to Nought’, a ballad satirising the profits of Ford and Woolworths. ‘A National Curse’ parodies Temperance campaigns by calling for a ban on soap. Other articles poke fun at aristocrats, gossip magazines and patriotic imperialists. There are also jokes around Manchester’s unreliable public transport, congested traffic, wet weather and excessive civic pride. Some cartoons show racial stereotypes.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'> This volume also contains comedic advertisements for Exide batteries, the Marconiphone, Lewis’s department store, the Manchester Royal Infirmary, Ferranti, Manchester Corporation Tramways, King Lud Tobacco, Atora beef suet, Saxon Jefferis cars, Small & Parkes mechanics, Van Heusen collars, Thos. French & Son curtains, Gallahers Tobacco, John Heywood bookseller, the Ewbank carpet sweeper, the Manchester Ship Canal, Lawton’s tailors, Lookers Ltd., Vimto, Boots, Oldham & Son batteries, Amazon Overalls, C. Nicholls & Co printing, Delecta Chocolates and Pratt’s petrol. </p>