Judge — March 24, 1888 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "That Most Unexpected Blizzard" This March 1888 Judge cartoon satirizes a severe winter storm (likely the famous "Great Blizzard of 1888" that struck the Northeast). The image depicts figures struggling against a massive blizzard—a bearded man on the right appears to be a political figure or personification of winter/nature itself, while caricatured figures in the center battle with an enormous umbrella against fierce winds and snow. The caption "Muggwumps—'This will be the death of us!'" references the Muggwumps, a faction of Republicans who had split from the party. The cartoon likely uses the blizzard as metaphor for political turmoil or suggests that unexpected harsh conditions (literal or political) pose existential threats to these dissidents.