Judge — August 31, 1912 — page 14: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon by H.A. Petersen depicts a fashionably dressed woman standing outside a "General Delivery" postal window, holding an enormous rifle or harpoon-like object alongside a handbag. A uniformed postal worker observes from the right. The satire appears to comment on women's impatience or aggressive pursuit of romantic correspondence—"waiting for the mail" likely refers to awaiting letters from suitors. The absurdly oversized weapon suggests exaggerated, almost violent eagerness. The woman's elaborate hat and fashionable attire indicate she represents a particular social type, possibly satirizing the "new woman" or dating customs of the era. The joke relies on the visual incongruity of a genteel woman wielding weapons while engaged in the domestic act of mail-checking, mocking feminine behavior or expectations around romantic pursuit.