Judge — January 3, 1903 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a New Year's cover illustration titled "From Start to Finish." It depicts two elegantly dressed women in a motorcar—a still-novel technology in 1903—driving confidently forward. The accompanying verse celebrates the new year with optimism, expressing hope that the season will inspire "joy in our spirits and speed in the time." The satire likely comments on **women's increasing independence and modernity**. The motorcar, a cutting-edge symbol of progress and freedom, is operated by fashionable women rather than men—a progressive image for 1903. The "from start to finish" metaphor suggests women navigating their own course through the new year and new century, rather than being passive passengers. This reflects early-1900s anxieties and enthusiasm about changing gender roles and technological advancement.