Life, 1888-06-07 · page 1 of 16
Life — June 7, 1888 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Next Morning" - Life Magazine, June 7, 1888 This satirical cartoon depicts a domestic scene with two women confronting each other. The caption reveals a joke about an "electric bell" — a newfangled technology of the 1880s. A visiting lady from Boston claims she "had to run after the men last night more than some of us like to do," complimenting the hostess as "the belle of the occasion." The other woman corrects her, saying Captain Gatling told her she was "the belle — the *electric* bell — always to be found on the wall." The humor plays on the double meaning of "belle" (a beautiful woman) versus "bell" (the device). It's a gentle jab at the hostess, suggesting she was as immobile and wall-bound as an electric bell during the evening's social gathering—essentially a wallflower, despite her hosting duties.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NEW YORK, JUNE 7, 1888. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. Y Copyright, 1888, by Mircuett & MILier. 1 \ ‘ig : VM. ‘ York, of | colored All sizes. Hunting, Other hildren’s h Galle. nd Laws nd stamp w York. be ently in- his parte bristles _ ation of aced that 1 sense of olishes entive of THE Co. )UR =NT > IS E: CLES, feties F THE NEXT MORNING. ORLD. % Lady from Boston, on the divan: YOU HAD TO RUN AFTER THE MEN LAST NIGHT MORE THAN SOME OF US LIKE TO DO, BUT YOU CERTAINLY WERE THE BELLE OF THE OCCASION. The other Lady: 1 THE BELLE! Wuy, CAPTAIN GATLING SAID YOU WERE THE BELLE—THE ELECTRIC BELL EL 00. ALWAYS TO BE FOUND ON THE WALL! [Exit with a flushed face. comicbooks.com