Judge — July 19, 1919 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Judge Magazine, July 10, 1919 This satirical cartoon by James Montgomery Flagg addresses luxury taxation during the post-World War I period. The illustration shows an elegant couple in an intimate embrace, with the caption asking "How Long Will This Luxury Escape Taxation?" The satire targets wealthy Americans' indulgences during a time when the U.S. government was seeking new revenue sources, particularly through taxation of luxury goods. The cartoon suggests that even personal pleasures and romantic encounters—represented by the couple's embrace—might eventually face taxation as the government expanded its fiscal reach. Published at 10 cents, this reflects 1919's anxieties about government expansion and the reach of taxation into previously untaxed aspects of American life.