Judge, 1916-01-22 · page 15 of 28
Judge — January 22, 1916 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This sketch by Robert Ball depicts **Broad Street in New York**, likely during a period of financial market activity (possibly early 20th century). Two figures—Gwendolyn and Edward—observe the bustling **Curb Market** (an outdoor securities exchange that preceded the modern AMEX). **The satire**: Gwendolyn is shocked by the chaos and noise, expecting war rather than financial trading. Edward's response mocks financial markets' irrationality: **large transactions happen quietly among wealthy insiders, while small investors create the most commotion**—suggesting ordinary people speculate recklessly while the wealthy conduct calm, substantial business. The cartoon critiques both market chaos and the class divide in financial participation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SES . t ee NEW YORK ON BROAD STREET, —So this is the Curb Market! One would think war had brokea out! 1 thou; Edward—It is quiet where the va ght speculation was a quiet sort of function. the noise. The smaller the transaction the greater ues are large. Gwendolyn: comicbooks.com