Judge, 1889-12 · page 6 of 53
Judge — December 1889 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Judge* magazine combines humorous illustrated vignettes (panels 1-9) with satirical product descriptions mocking Christmas gift-giving anxieties. The top section presents absurd "novelties"—a stocking holding both drum and bobsled, a toy delivery system avoiding children's eyes, a climbable Christmas tree, and a device to keep kids from seeing Santa. These mock parental frustrations with noisy toys and holiday chaos. The right column's "novelties" target courtship rituals: a "lover's thermometer" to gauge female romantic interest through gift expectations (watch vs. candy), an optical illusion helping men trap women under mistletoe, and a quick-fastening skate allowing men to help dress their girlfriends—each reflecting period gender dynamics and dating conventions. Panel 10 shows "The Clown's Revenge," a pantomime scene, though its specific satirical meaning remains unclear from the image alone. Overall, the page satirizes both consumer culture's endless trivial "improvements" and Victorian courtship conventions through exaggerated, tongue-in-cheek product descriptions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
CHRISTMAS NOVELTIES. T IS SAID that a stocking has been in- vented which will hold a drum and a bob- sled. A TOY-DEALER guarantees to deliver pres- ents at the house without the small boy seeing them. A CLIMBABLE Christmas-tree will be con- sidered one of the most useful inventions by fathers who have a houseful of small boys. ONE of the most ingenious novelties of the year is a contrivance to keep the youngsters’ eyes closed when Santa Claus is making his visit, CHRISTMAS JUDGE A LovER’s thermometer fills a long-felt want. A young man has only to test the warmth of his girl's affection to learn whether she expects a watch and chain or only a box of bon-bons. OPTICAL illusion has at last been adapted to a practical purpose. A Frenchman has in- vented a device which makes a pretty girl fail to see she is standing under the mistletoe until it is too late. A New skate will be on the market this year. The inventor claims it can be put on in half the time that other styles take. Those who have watched a young man put on his best girl's skates will not feel disposed to dis- pute this claim. 10 A CHRISTMAS PANTOMIME.—THE CLOWN’S REVENGE. comicbooks.com