Judge — August 23, 1924 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Hay Fever!" This illustration depicts a romantic couple embracing in a rural hay setting, with a farmer watching disapprovingly in the background. The title "Hay Fever!" is a pun: it plays on the medical condition (hay fever/allergies) while depicting literal fever—romantic passion—occurring in hay. The humor relies on double meaning typical of Judge magazine's style. The farmer's stern posture and surveillance suggest social disapproval of the couple's public affection or potentially illicit romantic encounter in his field. The satire may comment on rural morality, class differences, or the tension between romantic impulse and social propriety in early 20th-century America. The specific historical context of which "hay fever" season or social controversy this references remains unclear without additional publication information.