Puck — June 5, 1878 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Puck cartoon satirizes the conversion of a women's residence into a bachelor hotel. The main panel depicts wealthy men enjoying the newly converted space—lounging, decorating with artwork, and generally carousing. The smaller panels mock the transition: one shows "no harsh rules for gentlemen" with a man throwing items around; another depicts a concerned figure (labeled as "Judge Hilton") reading "Standing Rules," worried about maintaining order among male residents. The satire targets gender double standards—while women residents faced strict regulations, men are promised libertine freedom. The title "A Hotel of Another Sex" emphasizes how institutional standards flip based on occupants' gender. The joke relies on contemporary assumptions about male versus female behavior and respectability.