The Wasp — 1894 — page 270: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features three sequential cartoon panels depicting cyclists on bicycles, labeled "Our Wheelmen" (continued from page 14). The drawings show riders in various states of distress or awkward positions while cycling—appearing to struggle with balance, control, or accidents. The satire likely mocks the bicycle craze that was sweeping America in the 1890s. "Wheelmen" was the contemporary term for cyclists, and these cartoons appear to ridicule amateur riders' incompetence or the inherent dangers and difficulties of bicycle riding, which was then a relatively new and fashionable leisure activity. The page is otherwise dominated by period advertisements for saloons, restaurants, cocoa, and patent medicines—typical commercial content for a satirical magazine of this era.