Judge — September 13, 1902 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Fall of 1902" — Judge Magazine, September 13, 1902 This cartoon satirizes **Rothschild van Rockefeller**, apparently a fictional wealthy character representing American robber barons. The scene depicts an elegant woman in bed surrounded by luxury items—jewelry, perfume bottles, and costly accessories—while contemplating her romantic entanglements. The accompanying text mocks the character's pretensions, questioning whether his wealth genuinely demonstrates love or merely indulgence. It sarcastically references "Soft Coal stock," "Anthracite jewelry," "Red Ash earrings," and a "Leigh necklace"—likely alluding to actual business interests and scandals of wealthy industrialists during the Gilded Age. The joke critiques both wealthy men's use of material gifts to substitute for genuine affection and the superficiality of high society.