1-150-657 - The Cartoon Collector/Heritage-Images

'A Ladies' Race', 1872. A ladies' race fails to get under way as the female riders cannot stop gossiping. Punch regularly poked fun at women trying their poor best to participate in the sport of men. Here, the journal sends up the standard of female horsemanship, women attempting to step out of the private sphere of life deemed appropriate to their nature, and the enjoyable habit of gossiping. What is noteworthy about this cartoon, though, is that it was drawn by one of the earliest female artists employed by the journal. From Punch, or the London Charivari, June 1, 1872.