The Wasp — 1878 — page 477: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This six-panel comic sequence depicts a man's increasingly frantic preparation for bed during what appears to be winter weather. The humor follows slapstick physical comedy: 1. He opens a window, wondering about the fire 2. He hurriedly undresses 3. He removes his boots (which keep out "slush and snow") 4. He struggles getting his shirt off 5. He retrieves his nightcap from under the bed 6. He apparently falls or tumbles, frightened by what the caption suggests is "the thundering old cap's alight" The joke appears to be about the chaos and mishaps of bedtime preparation in cold weather, with each panel showing escalating physical comedy and confusion. No specific political figures or events are identifiable—this is straightforward humorous domestic entertainment.