Judge — February 1, 1913 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is the cover illustration by James Montgomery Flagg for Judge's "Automobile Number." The caption reads "THREE SPEEDS FORWARD—ONE REVERSE," which appears to be a double entendre about automobiles and social behavior. The image depicts four fashionably dressed figures in 1913 attire—three women and one man—in a suggestive pose. The satirical joke likely plays on: 1. **Automobile technology**: Cars had forward and reverse gears, a relatively new feature in 1913 2. **Social commentary**: The suggestive grouping and caption imply commentary on modern courtship and sexual morality among the wealthy classes who could afford automobiles The illustration reflects the period's anxieties about automobiles as spaces enabling unsupervised interactions between young men and women, challenging Victorian social norms.