Judge — March 1, 1902 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon by Frederic Dorman Stanlaws satirizes social pretension at a masquerade ball. Two elegantly dressed women discuss a third woman's romantic interest in "Count von Switzer." The joke operates on two levels: the woman's stated desire is crude ("wants him bad"), which the other woman interprets as either grammatically improper or as evidence of questionable taste in men. The cartoon mocks both the artificial formality of masquerade society and the social climbing that occurs within it—the absurdity that a "count" would be a desirable prize at such an event. The title references "Prince Henry," likely alluding to a contemporary social event or theatrical production, positioning this as commentary on high-society pretense and the dubious value of European aristocratic titles among ambitious Americans.