The Wasp — 1895 — page 803: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes social hypocrisy around women cycling. The caption presents a dialogue: Mrs. Allwright claims "everybody must have the bicycle craze," while Mr. Golpson questions "Why so?" Mrs. Allwright responds that she "never get on my wheel but the whole black turns out to watch me mount it." The joke targets Victorian-era attitudes about women on bicycles. The activity was considered scandalous—mounting a bicycle required ungainly leg positioning that violated strict propriety standards. The cartoon mocks how women like Mrs. Allwright rationalize the behavior while simultaneously acknowledging the public spectacle and impropriety it creates. The crowd gathered to watch her mount reveals the continued social judgment despite women's growing public participation in cycling.