Extremes Meet political cartoon, 1881

The political cartoon is divided into two parts. The left side of the image, labeled "crowded by choice," shows "Hotel Elite." Upper class men and women, presumably on
vacation, crowd the balconies. One man takes a nap in a hammock. The right side of the image, labeled...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: James Albert Wales, 1852-1886 (Creator)
Collection:Balch Broadsides: Satirical Cartoons (#PG278)
Date:1881-08-10
Alternate Date:August 10, 1881
Dimensions:32 x 24 cm
Extent:1 loose page
Box Number:Box 5
Folder Number:Folder 1
Format: Electronic
Language:English
Published: Keppler & Schwarzmann
Subjects and Genres:
Copyright:Please contact Historical Society of Pennsylvania Rights and Reproductions (rnr@hsp.org)
Online Access:https://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/objects/12137
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Summary: The political cartoon is divided into two parts. The left side of the image, labeled "crowded by choice," shows "Hotel Elite." Upper class men and women, presumably on
vacation, crowd the balconies. One man takes a nap in a hammock. The right side of the image, labeled "packed by necessity" shows the poor living conditions of a crowded tenement building. Despite the crowded conditions, there is a sign indicating that there are more rooms for rent. There are also signs for a factory, laundry, and dress maker.  Children play on the fire escapes and women hang laundry.
        19th-century tenements were extremely unsanitary and filthy. The poor ventilation, crowded living spaces, and outdoor communal bathrooms meant that diseases easily spread amongst the tenants. Public outcry over the tenements led to the passage of the 1901 New York State Tenement House Act which mandated safer and more sanitary living conditions.