Judge — August 10, 1889 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Columbus of To-Day" This August 1889 *Judge* cartoon satirizes the selection of a site for the 1892 World's Columbian Exposition. The central figure labeled "Judge" (representing the magazine itself or judicial authority) stands triumphantly, having "discovered" the exhibition site—paralleling Columbus's 1492 voyage. The crowded, chaotic scene depicts various competing interests (labeled "Manufacturers," "Art," and other banners) fighting over the location. The satirical point appears to be that choosing the fair's site involved contentious political and commercial rivalries, making the selection process as momentous and contentious as Columbus's original discovery. The exaggerated, carnival-like imagery mocks how cities and interests battled for hosting rights to this prestigious 1893 Chicago World's Fair.