Judge — November 5, 1904 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains two racist cartoons using offensive dialect and caricature stereotypes prevalent in early 20th-century American humor. **"Haunted by Work"** depicts two Black men discussing a third who is troubled since his wife's death. The "joke" cruelly suggests the deceased wife's primary value was as manual labor support—the post cannot replace her physical strength. **"A Long Meal"** shows a white farmer's wife negotiating work from a Black farmhand, who repeatedly delays by asking the time, hoping darkness will excuse him from labor. The humor targets perceived laziness stereotyped onto Black workers. Both cartoons reflect era-typical racism: they mock Black speech patterns, reinforce degrading labor stereotypes, and present racist "humor" as entertainment. These cartoons exemplify how mainstream American publications normalized dehumanizing caricature and racist attitudes before the Civil Rights era.