Judge, 1920-04-10 · page 36 of 36
Judge — April 10, 1920 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **primarily an advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes Topkis brand athletic underwear through a staged scene showing men after sports activity. The small comic dialogue ("What's a bath without a Topkis, eh, Bob?" / "You SAW something, Frank!") appears to be gentle humor about the practical need for fresh undergarments post-exercise—the implication being one man notices another's obvious need for a change. The page markets Topkis as premium athletic wear for active men, emphasizing comfort, quality nainsook fabric, and affordability ($1.65 for unions). The red-diamond label serves as an authenticity marker. **Historical context**: This 1919 advertisement in *Judge* reflects early 20th-century marketing that normalized discussing men's undergarments publicly and associated branded products with athletic masculinity and modern convenience—relatively new advertising strategies for the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“What's a bath without a Topkis, eh, Bob?” | “You SAW something, Frank!" ! WILTING round of golf, or a vicious match of tennis, =f \ The reviving drench of the needle-shower, then into a fm | ke : : . r Shivtand-Drawers | fine, fresh suit of toppy Topkis, to make the exercise £1.00 eack a \ worth while. And Topkis, more than any other? Assuredly. For ‘Topkis is fashioned from first quality nainsook with the utmost skill of the needle craft, deliberately designed for body-freedom. The prices are exceptionally reasonable, to! ‘That is Topkis, exclusively. Topkis comes in unions at $1.65, also shirts-and- drawers at $1.00 the garment. Available at quality shops. You'll want a half dozen suits at least. Especially at the low Topkis price. Genuine Topkis has the red- diamond label. TOPKIS BROTHERS COMPANY, Wilmington, Del. General Sales Offices, 350 Broadway, New York City Also Makers of Women’s, Children’s and Bays’ Athletic Underwear = ES Athletic Underwear. Copyright 1919, Tophis Brothers Company comicbooks.com