Judge, 1922-07-29 · page 17 of 36
Judge — July 29, 1922 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page mocks the Ziegfeld Follies dancers and their minimal costumes through humorous commentary. Three photographs show performers from the famous revue: Martha Lorber, Evelyn Law, and Gilda Gray. The satire operates on two levels: 1. **The costume joke**: The text sarcastically notes the dancers' extremely skimpy attire—suggesting thimbles (sewing notions) could serve as "wardrobe trunks" because the costumes are so small. 2. **The ridiculous cover story**: It lampoons Gilda Gray's claimed "sewing club" for Follies girls at her home as an absurdly transparent euphemism, given how little clothing these performers actually wear. The "Oh Boy!" headline signals the magazine's mock-scandalized tone toward the Follies' famous risqué nature. This reflects 1920s public fascination with—and disapproval of—the revue's daring, semi-nude dancing that pushed moral boundaries of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Martha Lorber, the dainty little Folly of the Ziegfeld Troupe, is the pretty dancer who studied with Fokine, and in the lessons, no doubt, taught Fokine a great deal more than he knew before. Evelyn Law, of the Follies, wants you to try this at home. She says, if you haven’t the proper setting in your drawing-room, it may be done with the same effect in your backyard. Sure—that’s a thought—out with the chickens! 1s Photograph by Anne. Look at Gilda Gray’s cos- tume up here on the right and then at Martha Lorber’s over there on the left, and then reconcile your mind to the fact that Gilda has or- ganized a sewing club—a sewing club, mind you— for the Follies girls to work through the summer at her home in Rockville Center, L. I. She calls the club The Ziegfeld Follies Thimble Club. Ah! We've got it! The thimbles are to be used as wardrobe trunks to hold the Follies girls costumes Boy!