The Last Bather, from Puck 1880

"The Last Bather" (1880) by Joseph Keppler is a humorous political cartoon depicting a lone bather leaving Manhattan Beach at the end of the summer season. The figure is exaggeratedly covered in grime, perhaps suggesting the pollution of New York's waters, and is accompanied by two animals, possibly reflecting the decline of leisure and the rise of urban squalor. Keppler's satirical style, commonly used in the popular magazine *Puck*, critiques social and political issues through caricature and wit. This cartoon is a prime example of 19th-century American political satire and offers insight into the concerns of the time.