Judge — February 26, 1898 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a four-panel satirical comic titled "The Victory of the Bears," depicting bears as anthropomorphic characters engaged in conflict with smaller figures (likely representing hunters or humans). The bears progressively gain the upper hand across panels: setting a trap, attacking a hunter, subduing multiple opponents, and finally dominating the scene while "remain masters of the situation." "Bears" in financial satire of this era typically represented stock market pessimists betting on price declines. This comic likely satirizes a period when bearish investors dominated market conditions, causing losses for bulls (optimists). The violent imagery humorously exaggerates market warfare between these investment factions. The work is credited to Sackett & Wilhelms lithographers in New York.