Named after the devilish sprite in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and established in New York in 1876 by Austrian immigrant Joseph Keppler, Puck was a German-language satirical magazine (with an English edition following in 1877) that skewered powerful people and high society for the next 40 years. “With a Wink and a Nod—Cartoonists of the Gilded Age,” now open at the Driehaus Museum, displays 74 original drawings and some 20 magazines from this pioneering publication, providing invaluable insight into how the visual and written press interpreted, elucidated, and took the piss out of events in American history in the years between the Civil War and World War I.
It remains to be seen whether The Onion or The Daily Show will be of interest to subsequent generations, but the artwork created by Puck‘s illustrators during its 40-year run holds up. Will a GIF of an eagle flying into Donald Trump’s hair hold someone’s attention 100 years from now? I wouldn’t bet on it, but I’m confident she’ll still be enjoying back issues of Puck. v
Through 1/17/2017, 10 AM-5 PM Driehaus Museum 40 E. Erie 312-482-8933driehausmuseum.org $25, $17.50 seniors, $15 students and children ages 6-12
