Kalem (Ottoman Turkish: Pen) was a bilingual weekly political satire magazine which was in circulation in the period 1908–1911 in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire.[1] The magazine was one of the satirical publications which were started immediately after the end of Ottoman SultanAbdulhamid's strict rule.[2] It was published in Turkish and French languages and was one of the most notable satirical magazines in the Empire in terms of the quality cartoons.[3] In addition, it is the first Ottoman publication which employed the word cartoon and attempted to develop a definition for it.[4]
History and profile
Kalem was established in Istanbul in 1908 as a bilingual satirical magazine covering both Turkish and French materials,[5][6] and its first issue appeared in September that year.[7] Its founders were Salah Cimcoz and Celal Esat Arseven.[8]Lucien Sciuto, a SalonicanJewish journalist, was the editor[9] of the magazine which employed large number of cartoonists who produced rich cartoon styles.[2][5] The magazine introduced the concept of modern cartoons in terms of lines and captions used.[4] Because before Kalem cartoon was considered to be just painting by the journalists in the Ottoman Empire.[4]
One of the major contributors was Cemil Cem who started his journalistic career in Kalem[7][10] which targeted educated Ottomans.[2] Another contributor was Refik Halit Karay.[7] There were also international contributors of Kalem one of whom was Henri Yan, a French journalist.[11] In October 1908 the magazine reported its circulation as 13,000 copies.[5] In the same date Kalem published a caricature of German Emperor Wilhelm II who was featured as a two-faced man deceiving the Ottoman Empire.[12] Due to this caricature the issue of the magazine was confiscated and the owner, Salah Cimcoz, was arrested for a short time upon the request of the German embassy in Istanbul.[12]Kalem folded in June 1911.[5][7]
In 2019 the University of Texas at Austin organized an exhibition on Kalem magazine and the political cartoons published in the magazine.[13] The print editions of the magazine are archived at the University.[13]
^Gary Leiser (Summer 2005). "The Dawn of Aviation in the Middle East: The First Flying Machines over Istanbul". Air Power History. 52 (2): 39. JSTOR26274636.