Judge — February 12, 1916 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Why Boys Leave Home" This 1916 Judge magazine cartoon satirizes the attraction of women to young men. The image shows three fashionably dressed women in period clothing—the center figure notably wearing a distinctive white hat and striped dress, flanked by two women in dark coats and feathered hats. The caption "Why Boys Leave Home" is a humorous commentary on heterosexual attraction and courtship. The joke suggests that young men abandon their family homes to pursue romantic interests, implicitly blaming attractive women for this departure. The women's fashionable attire emphasizes their appeal as the "reason" boys leave. This reflects early 20th-century social commentary on youth, romance, and changing domestic patterns, presented through lighthearted satirical humor typical of Judge magazine's content.