Private Eye magazine started as part of a satire boom in the 1960s. A thorn in the side of the establishment, it made its reputation both by ridiculing that which the British media treated seriously (and thus lent authority to) and through its fearless approach to libel. It’s reporting on the Poulson affair was a major coup in the 60s, and it has frequently been ahead of the press pack since, notably with its unflinching treatment of the late media baron, Robert Maxwell. The magazine first appeared on the newsagents’ shelves in the 1961 and was briefly banned over its send up of the hysteria surrounding the death of Princess Diana. Despite numerous visits to the High Court, it still makes a fortnightly appearance.

Copies of Private Eye magazine for auction include many of  early 1960s editions as well as a selection from the 1970s.