WAIT TILL THE TRAIN STOPS 

Editor: Here we have "Wait Till the Train Stops," a drawing or print rendered in ink by John Leech. It's just a flurry of action! I'm immediately struck by the chaotic energy. What symbols or deeper meanings do you find in this comical scene? Curator: Well, at first glance, the falling man evokes a sense of precariousness and loss of control, doesn't it? But consider how Romanticism often used such scenes. Do you see the umbrella and hat flying off as not merely accidental, but perhaps symbolic of lost dignity? Think about how class anxieties might be coded in this moment of public humiliation. Editor: That’s interesting. So, you're saying the image taps into anxieties about social order and maintaining appearances? Curator: Exactly! The very rigid lines suggesting speed and impact, combined with the conductor's accusatory stance, almost paints the falling man as a scapegoat. Ask yourself, what does that hat on the ground really *mean*? Is it just an object or something more representative? It all makes one question who society allows to rise, and who is condemned to fall. The birds add to this loss, and are symbols of freedom, which has abandoned him. Editor: I never would have considered those societal implications so directly! The fallen hat – literally a toppled symbol of status. Thanks for bringing that to light! Curator: It's all about looking beyond the immediate narrative and considering what cultural baggage these images carry! A drawing like this reflects, and shapes, ideas that remain culturally potent, even now.