The subject of 'uppity' servants provided endless scope for humour in 19th century New Zealand newspapers. Because there was a shortage of domestic help in colonial times, servants could afford to insist on respect from their employers. This 1868 cartoon tacitly concedes that point, while also mocking what the cartoonist sees as pretensions. Jemima Ann uses high-flown language, but incorrectly: she rejects the word 'wages', preferring to describe her earnings as an 'onner-raryum' (honorarium).
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference:
J-065-001
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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