What show have you got, little man?
Subject(s): American Stock Exchange, Business enterprises--Finance, Corruption, Gambling, New York (State)--New York--Wall Street, Wealth
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A man labeled “Stock Manipulation,” wearing top hat and tuxedo, rests one hand on a deck of “Marked Cards” and the other on a stack of gambling chips next to “Loaded Dice” and a wheel labeled “Brace Roulette.” The playing table is labeled “Wall Str[eet].” Behind him are money bags and papers labeled “Fiduciary Funds, Treasury Deposits, Other Peoples’ Money, Bank Loans, [and] Pools.” Standing in the foreground and looking up at the man is a diminutive man holding his “Savings” behind his back.
Comments and Context
As Puck Magazine evolved or matured, it grew more radical. This generally was within the drift of the major parties and the public, as reflected in political platforms and editorial opinion. A component of its commentaries were rejection of the corruption and malign political influence of big business, monopolies, and those whom President Roosevelt called the “malefactors of great wealth” with inordinate influence on politics and the economy.
This cover cartoon reflects the magazine’s attitude, and the frequent critique of owner and chief cartoonist Udo J. Keppler. To analyze the cartoon, and appreciate its subtleties, the reader must recognize that Keppler was not only contrasting the relative sizes of the “Stock Manipulator” and the small investor; that visual comparison is rudimentary for a cartoonist.
Keppler’s stronger, and salient, point is in the gambler’s arsenal all around him, and their labels — loaded dice; other peoples’ money; and marked cards. The commentary criticized, especially in the wake of the frightening Wall Street Panic half a year earlier, the unfair advantages pressed by corrupt wealth.
Collection
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Creation Date
1908-04-08
Creator(s)
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Page Count
1
Record Type
Image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
What show have you got, little man?. [April 8, 1908]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o286082. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956. What show have you got, little man?. [8 Apr. 1908]. Image.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. April 2, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o286082.
APA:
Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956., [1908, April 8]. What show have you got, little man?.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o286082.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. April 2, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
APA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
