Judge — September 11, 1915 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "A Bowling Match" - Judge, September 11, 1915 This illustration depicts a couple in an intimate embrace, with the man kissing the woman's cheek while she holds what appears to be a bowling ball. The caption "A Bowling Match" creates a double entendre—playing on "match" as both a bowling competition and a romantic pairing. The satire appears to target courtship customs of the era, suggesting that bowling alleys served as social venues where young people could interact. The joke likely mocks either the awkwardness of public displays of affection in such settings, or satirizes bowling as a supposedly genteel recreational activity that actually facilitated romantic encounters. The illustration's style and the magazine's focus suggest this is gentle social satire about American dating customs rather than serious political commentary.