Judge — October 20, 1917 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Slipping" - Judge Magazine Cartoon This political cartoon depicts a wizard-like figure in a pointed hat inscribing letters "S.P.R." on a large spherical object (likely representing the moon or a celestial body). The figure appears to be "slipping"—losing grip or control—as suggested by the title and the precarious positioning. The "S.P.R." likely refers to the Society for Psychical Research, an organization that investigated supernatural phenomena and spiritualism. The cartoon satirizes spiritualists or their advocates as charlatans attempting to claim or mark territory through fraudulent supernatural claims. The figure's unstable position suggests their efforts are failing or their credibility is slipping away. This reflects late 19th/early 20th-century skepticism toward spiritualism movements.