Judge — December 4, 1909 — page 17: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a portrait illustration by James Montgomery Flagg titled "Judge's Christmas Girl." The accompanying text is a humorous rejection letter, ostensibly from the magazine's "Christmas Girl," politely declining a kiss someone has offered her. The joke plays on magazine submission letters: instead of rejecting a manuscript, the "Christmas Girl" formally declines romantic advances using the bureaucratic language of editorial correspondence. She lists reasons for rejection ("many reasons govern the acceptance of a kiss") while maintaining professional courtesy and holiday cheer. This reflects Judge magazine's sophisticated humor style—combining literary satire with flirtation. Flagg's elegant portrait of the well-dressed woman in fashionable hat and fur represents the idealized "modern girl" of the era, making the contrast between her glamorous appearance and the deadpan rejection letter the source of the wit.