Judge — May 6, 1893 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page satirizes the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago through multiple vignettes showing visitors experiencing mishaps and excess. The cartoons mock: 1. **Physical chaos at the Fair**: Visitors are blown about by winds, knocked down, and generally undignified—suggesting the overwhelming spectacle. 2. **Alcohol consumption**: References to "saloons" and "Keeley treatment" (a real period addiction cure) satirize heavy drinking among fairgoers. 3. **Social disorder**: Well-dressed attendees are depicted losing composure, their dignity stripped away by the Fair's attractions. The caption "So that the saloons will not be the reapers of the people's wealth" explicitly critiques how the Fair's commercial establishments—particularly bars—exploit visitors' money. The overall message: the Fair, despite its architectural grandeur, reduces civilized people to chaos and financial ruin through intoxication and excess.