A classic example of early 20th-century Edwardian comic postcard satire, this illustration uses children posed as miniature adults to humorously comment on grown-up concerns—in this case, the expense of automobile travel. A country sheriff in coveralls collects a fine from a city slicker, while a fashionable lady looks on from a bright yellow roadster, complete with an oversized feathered hat.
This style of illustration was common in the pre-World War I era, when artists often depicted adult situations through child figures as a form of playful social satire that was widely acceptable for mass-market postcards.
Artist-signed E. B. Kemble. Edward Kemble was an influential American illustrator, best known for illustrating the first edition of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
