Judge — April 20, 1895 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts the bicycle craze of the 1890s as a humorous "family cycle"—a fantastical vehicle accommodating an entire upper-class family with their parasols, hats, and finery. Multiple figures pedal or ride this contraption, which appears absurdly overloaded with passengers. The satire targets the bicycle's explosive popularity during this era, particularly among women and families seeking leisure activities. The elaborate Victorian dress, multiple hats, and parasols emphasize how impractically people attempted to ride bikes while maintaining social respectability. The subtitle "What We Are Coming To" suggests the cartoonist mocks both the bicycle mania itself and anxieties about changing social structures—bicycles symbolized new freedoms, particularly for women. The small figures on individual bicycles below contrast with the family's impossible contraption, highlighting the absurdity of the bicycle trend's social impact.