Judge — August 13, 1921 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Wallflower and the Pond Lilies" This illustration by S. Werner depicts a poolside social scene from summer 1921. A woman in an elegant dress stands prominently, displaying her outfit to observers at what appears to be a fashionable resort or bathing establishment. The title suggests social commentary on courtship dynamics: the "wallflower" (a woman without a dance partner, implying social rejection) contrasts with "pond lilies," likely referring to women actively enjoying attention at the water's edge. The cartoon satirizes 1920s dating culture and the anxieties surrounding female social status during the Jazz Age, when swimming and resort culture became increasingly popular leisure activities. The emphasis on display and observation critiques the competitive social hierarchies women navigated in this era.