‘You ought to be ashamed of yourself’ 1900

William Wallace Denslow created this color illustration, likely around 1900, for L. Frank Baum’s *The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.* Here, we see Dorothy reprimanding the Cowardly Lion after he has swatted Toto, her small dog. The scene takes place on the Yellow Brick Road, with the Tin Man standing stiffly to the left and the Scarecrow sprawled out in the lower right. Denslow’s images were crucial in creating the now-iconic look of the Oz characters. But why was this story so popular at the turn of the century? Some historians connect the populist message of the novel to the economic situation in America, while others have noted the subversive message of female empowerment. The images and stories that capture the public imagination are always tied to the social and economic conditions of their time. As a historian, I can only offer some starting points for interpretation, while emphasizing the role of art as a cultural artifact.