Judge — June 13, 1896 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a humorous visual joke about a general store's inventory and customer traffic reflecting weather patterns. Four panels show "Longhead's Store" under different seasonal conditions: **Top left** ("Very dry and sultry"): Features slaughter prices on umbrellas and sun shades—goods nobody needs in hot weather. **Top right** ("Clear and warmer"): Displays sporting outfits and recreational equipment. **Bottom left** ("Cloudy and occasional showers"): Emphasizes umbrellas and mackintoshes (raincoats). **Bottom right** ("Cold wave with indications of snow"): Shows fur coats and winter goods. The satire mocks both the store's predictable seasonal inventory shifts and, possibly, the shop owner's obvious attempts to move merchandise. The joke's premise—that you could predict the weather by looking at what's being advertised outside a store—plays on the transparent nature of retail marketing responding to actual climate conditions.