The Wasp — 1879 — page 41: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts a bearded elderly man (likely representing a judge or authority figure) performing phrenology—measuring a seated man's head with calipers while consulting Asian characters and a bowl of water, suggesting pseudoscientific racial analysis. The inset shows two figures with scissors, implying mockery of such practices. The satire targets the pseudo-scientific racism of the era, particularly phrenology—a discredited practice claiming skull measurements could determine intelligence and character. The Asian characters and references suggest this ridicules applying such "science" to Asian immigrants, a major source of anti-immigrant sentiment in 19th-century America. The title "Judge Righteous Judgment" ironically mocks authorities who used such fraudulent methods to justify discriminatory policies against non-white populations.