The Wedding Day

Mid-19th century cartoon on married life that can still be appreciated today.

Though the humor may be a bit dated by today’s political standards, this dual image woodcut engraving attempts to make light of the ‘relaxed’ nature that many marriages attain after a certain amount of time. In the upper scene, the trim new husband gifts his lovely bride a bouquet of flowers and bracelet for their first anniversary. However, by the fourteenth (lower panel), the presents have changed to a bundle of asparagus and a double baby carriage (perambulator). Both parents may have gained a few pounds, also!

Issued in an 1855 issue of Punch, or the London Charivari. This influential weekly magazine was in publication for over 150 years and helped to popularize the modern notion of the cartoon as a vehicle for humor and satire.