THE TWOPENNY TUBE 

John Leech made this line drawing, titled 'The Twopenny Tube', presumably in England in the mid-19th century. The image captures a moment of apparent frustration at a ticket window, inviting us to consider how such everyday interactions reflect social and economic realities. Leech's work often appeared in publications like Punch magazine, using satire to comment on Victorian society. Consider the rise of public transportation during this era. The "tube," or underground railway, was a marvel of engineering, but also a potential source of anxiety and class division. How did different social classes experience this new technology? Were there tensions around access and affordability? The historian might turn to sources such as period newspapers, social surveys, and engineering reports to understand the context of this image. By exploring the social and institutional forces at play, we can begin to unpack the complex meanings embedded within Leech's seemingly simple drawing.