Judge — December 1, 1900 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes upper-class social anxiety about hiring domestic servants. The caption reads: "Would it be a safe thing to hire that Vassar girl, do you think?" / "Oh, yes—if you were a 'safe-mover.'" The humor targets wealthy employers concerned about hiring educated women (specifically a Vassar College graduate—an elite women's institution) as household staff. The joke implies such educated women are unreliable servants unless the employer is a "safe-mover" (possibly meaning financially secure or careful). The cartoon reflects early 20th-century class tensions: college-educated women entering domestic service was considered unusual and potentially problematic for maintaining household hierarchy. The satire mocks employers' snobbish anxieties about social status and proper servant qualifications, while also poking fun at educated women's limited employment options.