This two page drawing by Harry Grant Dart was published in Puck magazine in 1908 and shows the nightmare of some Edwardian chaps; women having the same fun they were having!
But if you allow women to smoke… whatever next?!
Let’s look at a few details.


A widow, in stead of hiding indoors crying and mourning all day she’s off to the pub, smoking, playing cards, reading a police newspaper… did she bump off her husband?

Ah no, pesky kids, coming to bother mum while she’s having a few drinks and smokes.
Go ask your dad!
The artist is showing us what plenty of men thought was the hellish vision of women doing… well what a lot of chaps were doing!
What a self report 😉

These ladies are following the latest news that is coming in via a ticker… but shock horror, they’re not worrying their pretty little heads over babies or kittens but over SPORTS!
That’s man’s stuff!

The name of the pub is quite shocking, the owner… appears to be… A WOMAN!
Shock horror!

There are some rules of course, but are they being followed?

They’re even fighting… because that will happen if you allow women to smoke…

And this is the ultimate insult… the men are stuck in the backroom, out of the way, not bothering the women having their smokes, they can just sit in the parlour and talk about fashion or something.
All this and it’s not even about women getting the vote…

Either way, this looks like an awesome pub.
Sorry gents, you get to sit in the parlour, ladies, join me at the bar, first round on me, bring your own smokes.

Oh final addition; I shall be smoking this pipe a dashing flyboy once gave me as a gift, can you see what it is supposed to be?

