File:Strechit ca1800-1810 non-sidesaddle sailor caricature.jpg

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"An Enquiry after Stretchit in Gloucestershire, or the Sailor's Reply", an innuendo-laden English caricature of ca. the first decade of the nineteenth century, which comments on a few young women who were daring enough to ride horses astride, rather than sidesaddle (as was considered appropriate for females during the 16th through 19th centuries). Part of the intended humor is supposed to come from the encounter between the genteel (though boldly daring or "fast") young lady and the salty British tar.

Dialogue and text in image:

Young lady
"Pray, Sir, is this the way to Stretchit?"
Signboard caption
To Stretchit
Sailor (in stereotypical bell-bottoms)
"Shiver my top-sails, my Lass, if I know a better way."

(Note that the signboard is roughly shaped to resemble a hand with a pointing finger, the common directional indicator at the time — see Image:The overthrow of dr. slop.jpg for a more elaborate version — while equivalent modern signage would include an abstract arrow symbol instead.)

The main joke was that it was not expected or approved behavior at the time for women to have their legs widely spread apart in public for any reason. (In other words, the sailor is commenting on her manner of riding, rather than the direction she is going; and the pun on the place name "Stretchit" with "to stretch it", implying that riding in such a way would stretch the woman's vagina.)
Date English engraving c. 1800 - 1810.
Source The first upload was scanned from one of the early twentieth century Eduard Fuchs Karikatur books by User:Churchh. Second upload is from UK National Maritime Museum at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/138542.html . See also https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1935-0522-10-78 for a different 1803 caricature with same theme.
Author Unknown 1800-1810 artist

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This is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. The work of art itself is in the public domain for the following reason:
Public domain

This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer.


This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1929.

The official position taken by the Wikimedia Foundation is that "faithful reproductions of two-dimensional public domain works of art are public domain".
This photographic reproduction is therefore also considered to be in the public domain in the United States. In other jurisdictions, re-use of this content may be restricted; see Reuse of PD-Art photographs for details.

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Date/TimeThumbnailDimensionsUserComment
current15:49, 25 February 2014Thumbnail for version as of 15:49, 25 February 20141,224 × 888 (1.22 MB)Churchh (talk | contribs)larger color image from http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/138542.html
04:06, 18 July 2006Thumbnail for version as of 04:06, 18 July 2006969 × 656 (313 KB)Churchh (talk | contribs)"Stretchit", an innuendo-laden English caricature of ca. the first decade of the nineteenth century, which comments on a few young women who were daring enough to ride horses astride, rather than sidesaddle (as was considered appropriate for females durin

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