Judge, 1887-07-30 · page 16 of 16
Judge — July 30, 1887 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the contradictions of leisured vacation activities, particularly among wealthy Americans. The title "A Week's Vacation" frames several vignettes showing supposedly relaxing pursuits that are actually exhausting or uncomfortable. The central joke appears to be ironic: activities marketed as leisure—hay-pitching "to get up an appetite," rowing in heat, and playing tennis "in a broiling Sun"—are physically demanding and unpleasant. The satire targets the affectation of wealthy vacationers who perform manual labor or strenuous sports as fashionable entertainment, treating genuine work as recreational activity. References to thermometers and complaints about heat underscore the discomfort these "relaxations" actually involve. The cartoon mocks the pretense that such activities constitute enjoyable vacation time, particularly for the idle rich seeking authentic experiences or health benefits while avoiding actual labor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
eye\ He Belge the O14 Farmét to pitch bay, ‘Jest to get up an appetite, you know.” wiv ss he foo Man the girts have een tn bent, So lovey to have Dis row them, Thermometer Tees 7 oLon, ~ = - { py fee ey Man Pe i +) qe? = 71 — g Z 1 YOU tog, vy: — SN hey, DENT 2 And then the Gelights of Tennis in a broiling Sun! A WEEK'S VACATION.