The Great American Statesman, Puck Possibly 1883

Louis Dalrymple created this color lithograph for Puck magazine in 1888. It satirizes American politicians' detached observations of the working class. Here, the so-called “statesman” embodies the elite's indifference to the plight of laborers. Perched high on a carriage, above the commoners, he gazes through a spyglass, his eyes blind to the lived realities of those below. The figures beside him, possibly representing different nationalities, are reduced to mere caricatures, reinforcing stereotypes. The title, “The Greatest American Statesman—How he Studied the Condition of the English Laborer,” drips with irony, highlighting the absurdity of distant, academic analysis versus genuine empathy and action. Dalrymple critiques the political elite’s self-serving focus, revealing how power structures can perpetuate inequality. The emotional weight of the piece lies in the chasm between the statesman’s privileged perch and the unseen struggles of the working class.