Judge, 1889-08-31 · page 16 of 16
Judge — August 31, 1889 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes social snobbery and class anxiety. An angry figure (likely representing an aristocrat or wealthy person) confronts a stranger about shaking hands with someone of lower status—implying the handshake has "contaminated" them socially. The stranger deflects by pivoting to advertise "Cleer soap," claiming it removes stubborn stains without damaging fabric. The joke works on two levels: literally, soap removes physical dirt; metaphorically, the advertisement suggests the snob can wash away the "stain" of contact with lower classes. This mocks both the pretentious person's anxiety about social contamination and the era's advertising culture, which promised products could solve any problem—even social embarrassment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
pe lle AN eT \ TAR ad. i CROSS-COUNTERED. ANcrR —“And that hand, you say, has shaken the hand STRANGER —“Allow me to call your attention to a cake of Cleer soap. Warranted to instantly remove the most rugged stains without inj; fabric.”