Judge — November 16, 1901 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "A Polar Bear" – Judge Magazine Cartoon Analysis This page contains a humorous anecdote about a well-dressed Italian visiting Victor's restaurant. When asked what a "polar bear" is, the proprietor explains it's "an animal, white and covered with fur." The Italian then asks where polar bears live, leading to Victor's reply: "at the north pole." The joke concludes with the Italian's punchline about polar bears sitting on "one cake of ice"—a play on words mocking Victor's earlier claim that he serves only "one cake of ice" at his establishment. The accompanying illustrations depict the conversation and unrelated domestic scenes below. This appears to be gentle ethnic humor typical of early-20th-century American magazines, using a supposed Italian accent or naïveté for comedic effect.