Judge — May 15, 1897 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Judge Magazine Cover - "Bike Number" (May 15, 1897) This is a satirical cover featuring a grotesque monkey-like figure riding a bicycle while kicking its legs wildly. A snarling dog appears beneath the bike. The exaggerated, violent posture and the caricatured features suggest this is mocking bicycle craze participants—likely poking fun at the popularity of cycling in the 1890s and the often-reckless behavior of cyclists. The simian imagery reflects period racial caricature conventions common in 19th-century American satire, though the specific target remains unclear from visual evidence alone. The overall joke appears to satirize the absurdity and danger associated with the bicycle fad that swept America in the 1890s, treating cyclists as foolish or animalistic.