Judge — January 3, 1885 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts a woman personifying New Orleans on New Year's Day 1890, gesturing expansively toward the city below. She's dressed elaborately and positioned on elevated terrain, overlooking the landscape with agricultural abundance (corn, grapes) beside her. The satire likely celebrates or comments on New Orleans's status and prospects at this specific historical moment. The personification-as-woman was common in 19th-century political cartoons representing cities or nations. Her confident pose and the fertile imagery suggest optimism about the city's future, though without additional context from the magazine's surrounding text, the specific occasion or point of critique remains unclear. The date indicates New Year's resolutions or aspirations.