Judge, 1903-01-24 · page 16 of 16
Judge — January 24, 1903 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1902 Judge comic satirizes vanity and self-absorption among wealthy African American men. The characters "Deacon Pursestrings" and "Mose" organize a "mirror club"—ostensibly to honor guests, but actually to display mirrors behind the honored chair. The joke: Deacon Pursestrings arrives as the "honored guest" only to realize the mirrors are positioned so attendees can admire *themselves*, not him. When he catches on, he claims the mirrors are making their mustaches curl unnecessarily. By the final panel, he's abandoned pretense entirely, announcing he'll be both guest *and* lead the closing ceremony—taking full control. The satire targets masculine vanity and social climbing, using exaggerated dialect and caricature typical of period racial humor. The phrase "He Was Right In It" suggests Pursestrings finally admits his true motive: the event was always about his own prominence, not genuine hospitality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
- Le Deacon Pursestrincs—'‘Is yo’ gwine ter open a crystal maze heah, Moses?" Mose (the proprietor)" Nopey, deacon: we's organizin’ a mirror club fo’ de entertainment ob our dearest fren's. Ebery one dat jines it mus’ bring a’ mirror ter hang up behind de honored guest's chair, Dat's de place yo’ will occupy dis ebenin’, de occasion ob our fust meetin’. Maik yo'self at home an’ be welcome." 2. Host—" Gemmen, allow me ter introjuice ter yo" de honored guest ob de ebenin’, Deacon Pursestrings, who will open de ceremonies wif prayers."* Deacon Pursestrinas (getting onto the job)—"* It "pears ter me yo" gemmen, wif de ald ob dose. mirrors behind me, am curlin’ yo'r mustaches mo’ dan Is abs'lutely necessary.” 4, Deacon Pursesrninos (continuing)—"'I'm gwine ter introjuice mahself as de honored guest ob de ebenin’, an’ I'm gwine ter take an active part in de closin’ ceremonies.” corvmonT 1902 BY JUDGE conPany oF wWroRK HE WAS RIGHT IN IT. Sache Wieins iho BP Co Rework comicbooks.com