1-150-422 - The Cartoon Collector/Heritage-Images

'A Morning Concert', 1865. A husband nods off to sleep in the front row of a concert. His wife scolds him. A man in the row behind looks to the ceiling, perhaps praying for the concert to end. Social events amongst the middle and upper classes often centred around music, and morning concerts were very popular. Mr Punch takes a topical dig at this entirely blameless pastime by having a little fun at the expense of those gentlemen who, as they might during a long and tedious sermon, succumb to sleep. However, with the wife's outraged hiss at her husband, Punch is also enjoying a dig at the quality of the average church sermon. From Punch, or the London Charivari, November, 1865.