Judge, 1889-05-18 · page 8 of 16
Judge — May 18, 1889 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the omnipresence of photography and camera culture in modern life. The title "The Modern Kodak, or The Omnipresent Plate" suggests cameras are inescapable. Panel 1 mocks a President so concerned about being photographed that he awkwardly holds his position during a parade to avoid "spoiling the plates" (photographic negatives). Panel 2 shows a "Park Heckler" warning someone not to shoot (photograph) him. Panel 3 depicts a couple in fields being pursued by photographers documenting their "breach of promise" lawsuit proceedings. The overarching joke: photography and the Kodak camera (newly popular mass-market technology) have become so ubiquitous that they intrude into every aspect of life—from presidential ceremonies to private romantic scandals. The cartoon criticizes both the technology's invasiveness and the public's obsession with capturing and documenting everything.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
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