The Wasp — 1889 — page 112: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes **John Bull** (the personified British Empire, shown as the figure with the exaggerated features on the right) and his relationship to colonial wealth. The caption reads: "THE HEN WITH THE GOLDEN EGGS—BUT IT IS JOHN BULL WHO HAS TO GILD THEM." The cartoon depicts Bull examining or managing a hen that lays golden eggs—a metaphor for profitable colonies. The figure on the left (carrying a sack labeled "CHICKEN FEED") appears to be another national power providing resources or investments. The satire suggests Britain must continuously invest in ("gild") its colonial possessions to maintain their profitability, rather than simply reaping easy rewards. It critiques the hidden costs of empire—that colonial wealth requires constant maintenance and resource expenditure.