Judge — April 13, 1895 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page satirizes anxieties about women's increasing independence and changing gender roles, likely from the late 19th century. Titled "How Things Will Be Reversed," the cartoons humorously depict a feared future where women hold power over men. The scenarios mock contemporary feminist demands: women wearing hats in theaters (a real complaint), aggressive female courting behavior, mothers controlling sons' romantic lives, and women demanding men surrender their seats. The caption about "elopement of the future" suggests women taking active roles in romance. The satire targets fears that granting women equality would invert traditional hierarchies rather than create genuine equality. "The Coming Woman" was a common phrase expressing alarm about women's suffrage and independence movements. Hamilton (the cartoonist) presents these scenarios as absurd reversals, implicitly arguing the status quo should remain unchanged.