Judge — September 2, 1893 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Slide Waltz" — Judge Magazine Cartoon This cartoon depicts a social dance scene titled "The Slide Waltz," captioned with the quote: "Don't no use talkin', Mistah Raffbone; I samtly does talk t' waltz wif Mistah Hen-tresh touches de groun'." The satire appears to mock fashionable dancing trends of the era, particularly a new dance style where partners maintain minimal contact with the floor—a "sliding" waltz. The dialect-heavy caption suggests the figure is an African American character expressing skepticism or complaint about the dance's demands. The cartoon satirizes both the absurdity of elite social dancing fads and likely contemporary anxieties about modern dance styles, presenting the new waltz as impractical or undignified compared to traditional dancing standards.