The Wasp — 1877 — page 56: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical comic strip, titled "Story of the Two Fat Men and the Small Bridge," appears to be political allegory about presidential succession or competing claims to power. Two well-dressed, portly figures labeled "Mr. Hayes" and "Mr. Tilden" (likely referencing the contested 1876 presidential election) attempt to cross a narrow bridge simultaneously, creating escalating chaos. The narrative progresses from their initial confrontation, through collision, to increasingly absurd physical struggle and failure to reconcile their positions. The captions—"A Collision on the Bridge of Sighs," "Hard Work to Pass Each Other," "The Result Worse Than Anticipated," and "Reconciliation Impossible"—suggest the cartoon mocks the difficulty of resolving the disputed election between Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel Tilden.