Judge, 1907-06-29 · page 7 of 19
Judge — June 29, 1907 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1907 Judge comic satirizes "rubberneck" tourist wagons—vehicles that transported visitors around New York City to see landmarks. The character "Nervy Nat," disguised as a fake British nobleman "Lord Reginald Somerville," serves as a tour guide offering deliberately absurd, insulting commentary. The satire targets multiple subjects: wealthy tourists ("Rubes and Cynthias"), New York's pretensions (mocking the Flatiron Building, grand hotels charging five dollars for an egg), and class snobbery (Nat boasts about a library while condescending to "plebeians" and cops). The cartoon mocks the commercialization of tourism and the fake sophistication peddled to gullible visitors. References to contemporary landmarks (Carnegie libraries, the Flatiron) and the "rubberneck wagon" itself—a genuine fixture of early 1900s New York tourism—ground this in specific historical context. The humor relies on recognizing these real locations and the era's class anxieties.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
+ We are now leaving the Flatiron bullding, ladies and gen- . We are leaving it because we can't very well take it with us "—— Oh, my boy, that is execrable! You may be good to your mother, and all that, but as a barker you are utterly impossible.” A i be ae ae 46 4o oe fa , 3. Nervy Nat—"' No, Clarise; that is not a brewery—it is New York's great monumental hostelry, much frequented by pork-packers, noblemen, and other members of the predacious classes. For five dollars you can go in and get one egg in any style, and for five plunks additional, as a tip, you can eat it.”” 5. Nerv Nat—"' Still gazing to your right, respected Rubes and Cynthias, we have the structure which made this great park famous—the monkey- house, with a real live monkey in front of it. We are indeed fortunate to witness such a sight, and I am extremely glad his name is not O'Toole.” SOPYMONT 1907 BY JULGE COmPuNY PUBLIBNERS 228 FOURTH AYE. MEA YORK Mi { ine tht (Chg eat Nervy Nat—" Now, my boy, be good and stay where I have placed you, and listen to your Uncle Nervy—er—Lord Reginald—if you want some points fon eloquence. We are now passing one of the city’s cemeteries—the dead ones may be observed on the benches. Beyond, peeping over the tree-tops, is the famous shot-tower, made famous by Harry K. Pittsburg.” 4. Nervy Nat—" And on our right, respected natives of Rochester, Syra- cuse and way-stations, we have the great library presented to New York by Nervy Nat, the great public benefactor and philanthropist. Observe how it makes all Carnegie libraries look like twenty cents’ worth of frizzled beef."” hayseeds! {sa little stunt on the side not in- cluded in our regular itinerary: and although I am burdened with a title, | am exceedingly democratic and not averse to mingling with plebelans, espe- cially cops. Mr. Motorman, if you'll go astern full speed, | think we will strike a more congenial atmosphere.” Nervy Nat—"' This, oh, NO. 4—NERVY NAT, STILL IN THE GUISE OF LORD REGINALD SOMERVILLE, THE BRITISH NOBLEMAN, TAKES A RIDE ROUND NEW YORK IN THE RUBBERNECK WAGON. comicbooks.com