Judge — June 17, 1911 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical coat of arms from Judge magazine critiques Anglo-American relations during the Taft administration (1909-1913). The design combines British and American heraldic elements: a lion and eagle flank a central shield bearing both Union Jack and American stars-and-stripes. The banner reads "BLOOD THICKER THAN WATER," invoking the idea of shared Anglo-Saxon heritage. The accompanying crowns and daggers suggest the militaristic implications of this alliance. The subtitle "MADE IN ENGLAND—TAFT PATTERN" implies satirical criticism that President Taft's policies excessively favored British interests or aligned America too closely with British imperial power. The coat of arms parodies formal heraldry to mock what the cartoonist saw as an unhealthy political merger between the two nations.