Judge — July 19, 1902 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine page contains two ethnic-stereotype humor cartoons typical of early 20th-century American satire. **Top cartoon ("What He Put Up"):** Depicts Jewish characters (identifiable by exaggerated caricature and Yiddish-accented dialect) in a clothing shop. The joke concerns a man who inherited money with instructions to place a memorial tablet on his uncle's grave—but instead cheaply erected a small "tablet" (likely a commemorative sign), interpreting the request literally or miserly. **Bottom cartoon ("Where It Hurt Him Most"):** Shows a street musician (organ grinder) with a small dog and monkey. When asked if his arms ache from turning the organ all day, he responds his *ears* ache—suggesting the music is so terrible it's physically painful to hear. Both rely on period ethnic stereotyping and working-class humor conventions. The Jewish dialect and imagery reflect common (offensive) American cartooning tropes of this era; the musician joke uses visual absurdism common to vaudeville-influenced humor.