Judge — November 22, 1913 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The page shows a black and white photograph titled "WAITING FOR THE SECOND TABLE," dated November 27 (Thanksgiving issue, based on the stamp). The image depicts a group of people—men, women, and children—crowded together in what appears to be a modest interior space, waiting. This is satirizing the common Thanksgiving custom where large family gatherings required seating in shifts: the main table for adults and honored guests, with children and less prominent family members eating at a "second table" afterward. The satire likely targets either the social hierarchies reflected in this seating arrangement or, given Judge's era, possibly comments on immigration and working-class families observing American holiday customs. The cramped, somewhat uncomfortable positioning emphasizes the indignity of being relegated to secondary status during a celebration meant to unite families.