Judge — October 4, 1924 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Great American Game: Pedestrians vs. Motorists" This cartoon satirizes the dangerous conflict between pedestrians and early automobiles in early 20th-century America. The title frames this as "The Great American Game"—suggesting the conflict was as central to American life as baseball. The image shows a stadium-like setting with spectators watching what appears to be a collision or near-miss between cars and pedestrians. Racing cars line up on the track while people (including what appear to be children) scramble on the field. A police officer on an elevated platform oversees the scene. The satire critiques how automobile accidents involving pedestrians were treated as entertainment or spectacle rather than serious public safety concerns. The "game" framing mocks society's apparent indifference to the dangers posed by rapidly increasing motorized traffic to vulnerable pedestrians and children.