Judge — August 24, 1901 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a single-panel joke cartoon from 1901 depicting two Black men: Jackson, a waiter, and R. Johnson, who is declining to join a poker game with gentlemen in the background. The humor relies on a racial stereotype common to the era: the implication that Black men are naturally inclined toward gambling and card games. Johnson's refusal—stated as "I am very well acquainted with de gentlemen"—suggests he knows these particular men are cheaters or untrustworthy at cards, making it foolish to play with them. The dialect spelling ("git," "dat," "wid," "de") reflects how Judge magazine typically rendered Black speech for comedic effect, though this was considered standard practice in American humor of the period. The joke's appeal to contemporary readers likely lay in the understated punchline rather than overtly racist content, though the caricature presentation and stereotypical framing would be deeply offensive today.