Judge — June 5, 1886 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes funeral floral arrangements by suggesting florists replace traditional symbolic designs (harp, cross, anchor, shield) with flowers arranged to represent the deceased's profession or trade. The image depicts an elaborate funeral scene with multiple figures examining ornate floral displays. The joke targets Victorian-era funeral customs and the florist industry's conventions. Rather than generic religious or classical symbols, the satire proposes that flowers should commemorate what the departed *did*—their occupation or business—making arrangements more personalized and presumably more lucrative for florists. The cartoon appears to mock both sentimental funeral practices and commercial opportunism in the flowers-and-mourning industry. Without visible dates or specific individuals, this reflects broader Gilded Age social commentary on commercialization of death rituals.