Cartoon Collections, Humor

Cartoons: Mid-Century Maternity Ward

These mid-1950s cartoons chronicle a time when fathers were exiled to the waiting room with their newspapers and cigarettes.

Nurses commenting on the fathers who are looking into a room full of newborn babies.

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Father greeting his newborn twins
“Hello children; good-by outboard motor.”
John Norment
September 14, 1957

 

Father rushing out of a maternity ward because he forgot his wife.
“Forgot his wife.”
Joseph Zeis
June 29, 1957

 

Nurse trying to identify a newborn's father in a maternity ward waiting room.
“Oh, come now…one of you must be Mr. Forrester.”
Chon Day
May 12, 1956

 

Nurses commenting on the fathers who are looking into a room full of newborn babies.
“All fathers look alike the first few days.”
Kaz (Larry Katzman)
May 2, 1959

 

Mother comments on her husband's reaction to her having triplets.
“Triplets should be worth more than a ‘Well, I’ll be damned.’”
Chon Day
April 28, 1956

 

Father at a maternity ward reacts to a nurse holding up three fingers, thinking she is telling him his wife had triplets.
“Maybe she means three pounds.”
Harry Lyons
April 21, 1956

 

Boy who is upset over his mom having a baby tells the maternity ward nurse that he is running away.
“I won’t say long. I just want to tell mom good-by.”
Jerry Marcus
April 11, 1959

 

Father so excited over his newborn daughter that he is flubbing his speech.
“It’s a father! I’m an eight-pound girl!”
Roy Fox
January 26, 1957

 

Father nervous when he sees the huge bundle that a maternity nurse is carrying.
“Relax. This is the laundry.”
Al Johns
December 15, 1956

 

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Comments

  2. I must say I find the ones with the triplets the most rattling; good grief! I love the bottom two, but when I hear the patter of little feet it’s much better when its coming from a Boston Terrier or an American Bull Terrier.

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