Judge — October 9, 1920 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Spirits" - Judge Magazine, October 9, 1920 This cartoon, drawn by Agnes MacDonald, depicts a séance scene during the spiritualist craze of the early 1920s. A well-dressed man conducts what appears to be a séance, communicating with ghostly figures materializing behind him. The title "Spirits" likely carries double meaning—referencing both supernatural spirits and possibly alcohol spirits, given Prohibition had just begun (January 1920). The cartoon satirizes the spiritualist movement's popularity among the wealthy and gullible during this era, when séances were fashionable entertainments. The exaggerated ghostly forms suggest fraudulent mediumship—a common satirical target in Judge magazine. The well-dressed charlatan presumably profits from clients' desire to contact the deceased, exploiting both grief and credulity.