The Wasp — 1879 — page 295: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This six-panel satirical sequence depicts the chaos and mishaps of moving house on May Day (May 1st), a traditional moving day in some cultures. The humor escalates through stages: clearing out furniture (panel 1), an overloaded cart collapsing on the road (panel 2), settling into the new house (panels 3-4), and domestic chaos erupting inside. Panel 5 shows "Gin causes Bridget to give her mistress a piece of her mind"—likely referencing alcohol-fueled conflict between a servant (Bridget, a stereotypical Irish servant name) and her employer. Panel 6 concludes with "Order reigns in Warsaw, but Warsaw is considerably damaged"—a sardonic statement about the household descending into disorder despite outward appearances. The satire mocks the stress, expense, and social upheaval of relocation.