Puck — May 28, 1879 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# The Bartholdi Statue of Liberty Cartoon The central image depicts the Statue of Liberty as a torch-bearing figure, accompanied by a poem titled "The Bartholdi Statue of Liberty: A Few Remarks." The satire appears to critique the monument itself—a gift from France that was newly erected or recently debated in America. The poem's tone is ambivalent, describing Liberty as still waiting ("Sent by France, / To enhance / Kindred of relations") yet questioning her effectiveness ("No specimen / Of the art called / plantic"). This likely mocks either the statue's artistic merit, its symbolic relevance to American ideals, or the political implications of accepting such a foreign monument. The accompanying puckerings column offers additional satirical commentary on contemporary social and political matters.