Judge — August 15, 1903 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This illustration from *Judge* magazine celebrates the "St. Louis Girl" in anticipation of the 1904 World's Fair held in St. Louis. The accompanying verse praises her beauty and suggests she will be "the fairest of the fair" among the world's beauties when the exposition attracts visitors from across the globe. The artwork, credited to James Montgomery Flagg (a prominent illustrator of the era), depicts an elegantly dressed woman in early 1900s fashion—fitted jacket, long skirt, and decorative umbrella—embodying the idealized "Gibson Girl" aesthetic of the period. The satire appears gentle: *Judge* humorously elevates local civic pride by suggesting St. Louis's female population will outshine international visitors. This reflects the boosterism surrounding major world's fairs, which cities used to assert cultural prominence and attract tourism.