"Railroad Collapse Cartoon - 1870s Political Satire on Financial Crisis" #3804576 (License: Personal Use)

The black-and-white engraving shows three well-dressed men-likely financiers or politicians-falling dramatically from a broken railway track that hangs precariously over a steep cliff. In the background, a steam train chugs along intact rails, while a woman (possibly representing labor or virtue) watches from above; scattered papers bear inscriptions like “E.R.R.” and “BANK,” hinting at corporate or financial malfeasance. The scene evokes the Panic of 1873 and critiques reckless railroad speculation.

This image is commonly used in educational resources about Gilded Age economics, 19th-century political cartoons, or U.S. financial history. It serves users researching economic crises, visual rhetoric, or historical satire-often appearing in museum archives, university lectures, or digital history projects.