Judge, 1912-04-20 · page 3 of 24
Judge — April 20, 1912 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents a romantic illustration titled "A Modern Romance" featuring a woman in profile within a circular frame, accompanied by whimsical poetry. The poem humorously contrasts idealized romantic notions with mundane reality. The satire targets early 20th-century romantic idealism: the narrator imagines sweeping Tina away to moonlit villas in France with classical music, but the punchline deflates this fantasy—she simply closes her apartment window and leaves him standing outside. The illustration's art nouveau style and the decorative owl header reflect Judge's typical aesthetic. The joke mocks both sentimental male romanticism and modern women's practical rejection of overwrought courtship, presenting contemporary relationships as prosaic rather than poetic. This reflects evolving gender dynamics of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A MODERN ROMANCE. When Tina twangs her mandolin And sings a lightsome lay With strains of Bach or Handel in My thoughts go far astray. They hie across the bounding deep To villas found in France; Or where gondolas gayly sweep Through dusks of rare romance. Ah. could I take her to the moon, Far from the rabble rude! I fain would hear my Tina croon To me in solitude. The music's ceased! Now what disposed Fair Tina to do that? She's spied me ‘cross the court and closed The window of her flat. =C. G. Garren comicbooks.com