Judge — April 10, 1920 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is a single satirical cartoon titled "The Revenue Officers Raid an Illicit Still in Yapp's Crossing." It depicts Prohibition-era law enforcement attempting to shut down illegal alcohol production in a working-class neighborhood. The scene shows revenue officers (federal agents) conducting a raid on what appears to be a makeshift distillery hidden among local shops and residences. The chaos of the raid—with officers, residents, and children scattered throughout the street—satirizes the difficulty of enforcing Prohibition. The visible storefronts (Coal & Wood, Geo. Doran's Meat Market, etc.) suggest this is meant to represent an ordinary American town where illegal liquor production was commonplace and integrated into everyday community life, highlighting the unpopularity and impracticality of Prohibition enforcement.