Puck — February 27, 1878 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Puck illustration satirizes the "Arion Masquerade Ball," likely a high-society event. The cartoon contrasts two worlds: elegant upper-class attendees in masks and formal dress celebrate in an ornate ballroom (top), while working-class figures—military officers, laborers, and common people—crowd below in apparent chaos or celebration of their own. The satire appears to critique wealth inequality and class divisions in Gilded Age America. The mask motif suggests hypocrisy: the wealthy literally mask themselves while the working classes remain visible and unmasked. The military figures present may reference political corruption or patronage networks of the era. The overall composition emphasizes how separate these social spheres were despite existing in the same city.