Judge — November 12, 1898 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Cover, November 12, 1898 This is a caricature titled "Cyrano de Wilhelm," depicting a figure wearing a German military spiked helmet (Pickelhaube) with an exaggerated nose. The caricature appears to reference German Kaiser Wilhelm II through the "Cyrano" reference—invoking the famous literary character known for his prominent nose. The tiny figures on the ground below appear to represent military forces or conquered peoples, suggesting the cartoon satirizes German imperial ambitions or militarism during this period. The artwork is signed "Grant Hamilton," a prominent Judge cartoonist. This 1898 date places it during the Spanish-American War era and the height of European imperial competition, when Germany under Wilhelm II was increasingly assertive in international affairs. The satire likely mocks German pretensions to military dominance.