Judge — March 15, 1924 — page 19: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This illustration traces the evolution of chorus girl costumes and aesthetics across theatrical productions from 1868 to 1924. Barton labels each figure with show titles—"The Black Crook Pioneer" (1868), "Floradora Girl" (1900), "The Geisha Figurante" (1900), "Greenwich Village Follies" (1924), "Winter Garden" (1924), "Music Box Variety" (1924), and "Russian Chorus Girl" (1924). The cartoon satirizes how chorus girl costumes and body presentations changed dramatically over roughly five decades, shifting from Victorian modesty through Edwardian exoticism to 1920s modernism with shorter skirts, geometric patterns, and stylized features. The final quote—"dd that I should still feel so tired!"—jokes that despite evolving fashions, the grueling work of chorus girls remained constant. This is social commentary on entertainment industry labor and changing beauty standards.