Judge, 1899-11-18 · page 10 of 16
Judge — November 18, 1899 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This six-panel comic satirizes the appeal of space-saving furniture to renters of modest means. The central joke involves a **folding bed** — a practical but temperamental device popular in cramped urban housing of the era. The narrative follows two separate renters (Mr. Newcomer and Miss Manymoons) who each enthusiastically rent a room specifically because it features this bed, only to have it violently collapse or malfunction on them. The humor escalates from mild annoyance to chaos: panel 2 shows the bed unexpectedly closing, panel 5 shows Miss Manymoons being struck by it. The final panel's punchline — "husband! Good heavens! help! murder!" — suggests Miss Manymoons was struck *while in bed with someone*, implying scandalous cohabitation. This adds a moral dimension to the satire: the folding bed becomes not just a practical inconvenience but evidence of impropriety. The cartoon satirizes both the unreliable technology marketed to poor renters and contemporary anxieties about urban morality and cramped living conditions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Mudge THE VERY THING. LaNDLADY — ** You see the room has a folding-bed, and the rent is Mx, Newcoser—"' Gracious goodness ! what's the"— bang ! only five dollars.” Mr. Newcomer—"' Yes, I see. I will take it at once.” LanbLapy — ** It was bad enough for him to go away without pay- Miss ManyMoons —"* Yes, T see : the folding-bed is just lovely. I ing, but to throw this bed over this way is contemptible.” will take the room at once.” Miss MANyMoons —"* There's only one thing that I've desired in ‘ e my lifetime more than a folding-bed, and that is a -— ——husband !—Good heavens ! help! murder !' comicbooks.com