Alumni of the Harvard Lampoon humor magazine gathered recently for a pop-up exhibit at the Harvard University Archives to celebrate the publication\u2019s 150th anniversary. The event was part of a series of festivities marking the sesquicentennial of the Lampoon.<\/p>\n
Thomas Beale, who became interested in parodies after reading a fake James Bond book titled “Alligator” by the Lampoon, reflected on his journey from high school humor columnist to joining the Lampoon at Harvard. He described a good parody as something that tricks you until you are halfway through it.<\/p>\n
Over 100 former members attended the gathering. The exhibit displayed nearly 100 items from the University and private collections, curated into five themes: early history, rivalries, parodies, celebrations, and Lampoon art and ephemera. Among the items was a parody of USA Today featuring Beale’s daughters and family dog.<\/p>\n
Visitors explored parodies spanning three centuries, including an 1892 trilogy and a 2013 work titled “The Wobbit.” The Lampoon’s creative legacy also includes spoofs of COSMO magazine, with feedback from Cosmopolitan editor Helen Gurley Brown. The event highlighted the ongoing rivalry with other campus publications like The Crimson and The Advocate.<\/p>\n
While the Lampoon is known for its influence on TV writing, the exhibit showcased the magazine’s artistic contributions, such as the works of Henry Russell Wood, discovered in a suitcase by his daughters. Mac Whatley, an alumnus, expressed relief that much of the Lampoon’s history is being preserved, recalling how he saved items from being discarded.<\/p>\n