Judge — June 14, 1884 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This appears to be a satirical cartoon about class pretension in early 20th-century America. The image shows figures in an automobile (then a luxury item) displaying ostentatious wealth and snobbish behavior toward pedestrians below. The cartoon is titled "The Progress of Snobbery" with the subtitle indicating this represents "one of the things the Nation don't want to see." The satire critiques newly wealthy Americans flaunting their automobiles and status symbols in ways the cartoonist views as vulgar and socially divisive. The vertical composition emphasizes class hierarchy—the privileged literally positioned above ordinary people. This reflects Judge magazine's tendency to mock nouveau riche pretension and excessive materialism during an era of rapid industrialization and wealth inequality in America.