Judge — August 26, 1882 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# The Anti-Hugging Steel Corset Cartoon (Judge, August 26, 1882) This cartoon satirizes camp meetings—popular religious revival gatherings of the era—by mocking the physical intimacy that occurred at these events. The "invention" is a steel corset designed to prevent hugging, presented as a humorous solution to unwanted physical contact. The scene shows a well-dressed woman wearing an exaggerated, armor-like corset device at a camp meeting (note the "Gospel Shed" sign). Two men appear to be reacting to or discussing this contraption, with tents visible in the background. The joke targets the perceived hypocrisy of religious gatherings: despite their spiritual purpose, camp meetings were notorious for romantic encounters and physical familiarity between attendees. The satire mocks both the behavior and the absurd "solution" proposed to control it.