“Chained to the Counter; or the Modern Andromeda” from “Fun” (1885)

Chained to the Counter; or the Modern Andromeda

John Gordon Thomson (1841-1911)

Fun (2 September 1885): 99

Courtesy of the Suzy Covey Comic Book Collection in the George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida.

See below for verses that accompanied the cartoon.

Andromeda

Andromeda — Women in Chains

The Rock of Doom by Burne-Jones

Perseus and Andromeda by François Lemoyne

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the University of Florida library and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. — George P. Landow]

Chained to the Counter; or the Modern Andromeda

That nought is new beneath the sun
Was anciently observed by one
Who was believed, long years ago —
If any ever knew — to know;
And therefore in these latter days
It surely cannot cause amaze
To come to understanding how
That what is here occurring now
Is just — or almost quite — the same
(Allowance made for change of name.
And time and place) as what occurred
In days when gods ’mongst mortals stirred.
Of course assuming that they told
The perfect truth in days of old.
With our poor shop-girl doth compare
Andromeda, the sad, the fair,
Chained to the counter of the store
For fourteen weary hours or more;
The monster who thus makes her stop,
He is the keeper of the shop,
Who bids her slave that he may reap,
Nor recks if she be robbed of sleep.
Then Perseus comes, the bold Sir John,
With fudge-proof armour buckled on,
Flies at the monster, hacks and slashes,
And ------- ----- ------ ------ ----

* * * *

Sequel, so far, shown by dashes.

Jacqueline Banerjee explains that “Sir John in the poem with that cartoon is Sir John Lubbock himself, the influential archaelogist and banker, who started the Bankers' Benevolent Fund etc. According to his entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography by Timothy L. Alborn: ‘He was also outspoken on labour issues, championing early-closing bills in the 1870s.’”

Last modified 21 March 2016