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

What you’re looking at

This page depicts the discomfort of a severe heat wave through multiple cartoon vignettes showing how extreme summer heat affects daily life. The sketches illustrate various scenarios: people seeking relief through fans, ice, and unconventional cooling methods; someone collapsing from heat exhaustion; individuals in various states of misery during oppressive temperatures. The satire lies in exaggerating the physical toll and behavioral changes heat induces—people abandoning normal decorum, becoming lethargic, or adopting desperate measures for comfort. The title "THE HOT WAVE" signals this is commentary on a contemporaneous weather event that impacted public life. The cartoons use humor to mock how environmental conditions force civilized society into undignified responses, a common Judge magazine approach to social observation.