Judge — November 15, 1924 — page 35: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *Judge* magazine presents **Crossword Puzzle No. 4**, a recreational feature popular in early-to-mid 20th century publications. The cartoonish header illustrations show children and adults enthusiastically engaged with puzzles, capturing the widespread craze for crosswords that swept America. The page includes the puzzle grid itself, answers to the previous week's puzzle, and a **contest announcement**: *Judge* will pay $25 for submitted crossword puzzles "if they must be funny"—appealing to readers' creativity while building content. The humorous cartoon at bottom-left ("Don't shoot—solution next week!") gently mocks the frustration puzzles cause. This represents *Judge's* pivot toward entertainment and audience participation, reflecting 1920s-30s popular culture where crosswords were a mainstream leisure activity. The "$25" prize was significant compensation, encouraging reader submissions during an era when magazines actively engaged their audiences beyond passive reading.