Judge, 1888-07-21 · page 12 of 20
Judge — July 21, 1888 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **not a cartoon or satire** — it's a straightforward advertisement for the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, published in *Judge* magazine around 1888. The ad promotes the company's financial strength and growth, highlighting President Richard A. McCurdy's leadership. It emphasizes the company's massive assets ($118 million), substantial payouts to members ($257 million since founding), and shows dramatic asset growth over 43 years (from ~$97,000 in 1845 to ~$118 million by 1888). The superlative language ("LARGEST! BEST!") and claims about its "Most Liberal" distribution policy were typical advertising rhetoric of the Gilded Age, when insurance companies were rapidly expanding and competing aggressively. There is no visible political commentary or satire here — this appears to be paid advertising space within the satirical magazine.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ALARGEST! = BEST!> MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF NEW YORK. RICHARD A. McCURDY, President. Assets Over - - - $118,000,000. ISSUES EVERY DESIRABLE FORM OF POLICY. It Has Paid Members Since its Organization Over $257,000,000. Its NEW Distribution Policy is the Most Liberal Ever Offered by any Insvrance Company, The following figures show the growth of the Assets of the MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF NEW YORK FROM 1845 TO 1888, RECKONING A PERIOD OF EVERY TEN YEARS FROM 1845: 1845, - - : - $97,490.34 1855, - - - - 2,850,077.56 1865, . ® - - 12,235,407.86 1875, - : - 72,446,970.06 1885, - = s 103,876,178.51 January 1, 1886, “ * = 108,908,967.51 a 1, 1887, - - - - 114,181,963.24 1, 1888, - - - _ 118,806,851.88 comicbooks.com