Digitized materials relating to The Garibaldi Panorama: Visualizing the Risorgimento from Brown University Library collections are continuously being made available to the public. Part of my job is to ensure that images are cropped, rotated , exported in our processing software (Adobe Lightroom 4.1), and fit for publication. Every now and then, this work exposes me to a fascinating object that I have never seen before.

This week’s processing  work included Lo Spirito Folletto, a 19th century Italian illustrated humor journal or fumetto (literally translated as “little puff of smoke”, referencing speech balloons). Lo Spirito Folletto (or The Impish Spirit), was one of the first newspapers of Italian political satire and was published weekly in Milan from 1861-1885. Brown University Library owns a single volume from 1863, which now has been fully digitized, and will soon be added to the repository.

The periodical is heavily and beautifully illustrated with woodcuts and lithographs, as Harper’s Weekly or The Illustrated London News, but the content is devoted to Italian political satire, caricature, wit and humor.  Droll vignettes of imps, elves, goblins, and fairies are sprinkled among charades, riddles, puzzles, and articles lampooning Italian statesmen.

The richness and elegance of the artistic compositions, executed by gifted illustrators and caricaturists like Guido Gonin, Vajani, Vespasian (“Vespa”) Bignami, and Luigi Borgomainerio, resulted in the periodical gaining renown in Italy, as well as abroad. The newspaper was published in Paris as the L’Esperint Follet, and featured the best Italian designs together with works by distinguished french artists.