Judge, 1892-01-23 · page 8 of 18
Judge — January 23, 1892 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is an antisemitic cartoon titled "Our First Families Driven Out," depicting Jewish immigration to New York City as an invasion or displacement of established residents. **What it shows:** Wealthy gentile businessmen are being driven westward by Jewish immigrants and merchants. The rising sun with a grotesque face represents Jewish commercial expansion. Store signs visible in the cityscape include Jewish-owned businesses ("Moses Lazarus," "Seligman & Co."). **The satire's "point":** The cartoon expresses nativist anxiety about Jewish immigration and economic success, particularly in the wholesale clothing trade on Broadway. The text notes that by February, New York's Jewish population was 225,000-250,000, with approximately 1,000 of 1,200 wholesale firms on Broadway being Jewish-owned. **Modern context:** This reflects 1880s-1890s anti-Jewish sentiment framing immigration as threatening American commerce and social hierarchy. Judge magazine regularly published such content, treating demographic change and Jewish economic achievement as problems warranting mockery and alarm.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
oi S 1K ee , \o OUR FIRST FAMILIES DRIVEN OUT. THEIR NEW JERU: ‘The Jewish population of New York last February was from 225,000 to 250,000, and this total will be increased by immigration during the rest of the last year by from 45,000 t0 94] 1d. Of the twelve huodred wholesale firms occupying the buildings on Broadway from Canal street to Union square, it is estimated that one thousand are Jews, The aggregate of the capi comicbooks.com