1907 Puck - The American Fagin
"The American Fagin" (1907). The most maddening aspects of many early 20th century reform movements are neatly encapsulated in this Joseph Keppler cartoon from Puck. On the one hand, a beautifully drawn attack on the shady policies of corporate lawyers who, then as now, have their hands in the public pockets. On the other hand, the crudest anti-Semitic stereotype this side of Der Sturmer. And yet we are sure that Keppler, were he here to defend himself, would say it was a simple Dickensian allusion and deny any anti-Semitic intent.