Judge, 1925-05-09 · page 26 of 36
Judge — May 9, 1925 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page collects humorous jokes and cartoons from Judge's archives, illustrating period comedy styles. **"The Davenport"** (1913) uses visual double-meaning: a davenport (sofa) transforms perspective—appearing spacious to a young woman but confining to a bashful young man, suggesting anxieties about courtship and physical proximity. **"Naturally"** (1912) is a pun-based joke: when asked what family members do, each response escalates absurdly, ending with the father being a "pessimist"—a wordplay subversion of the pattern. **"An Oversight"** (1912) features courtroom humor: a prisoner accused of breaking a chair over someone's head protests he only meant to break the chair, not harm the man—inverting expected priorities for comedic effect. **"He Needs Them Now"** (1902) references economic hardship: a man searches for coal he carelessly threw at a cat during winter, implying desperation for fuel during cold months—a dark joke about poverty and regret. The page emphasizes wordplay and domestic/social anxiety typical of early-20th-century American humor magazines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ASK DAD—HE KNOWS What they laughed at in the good old days | Teeny o> 1 | >) 1 & Norman Anthony in Judge, 1913 | THE DAVENPORT 4 als it looks to the anzious young lady, and—as it appears to the bashful young man, i Naturally | “Do you play any instrument, | Mr, Jim | “Yes, I'ma cornetist.” “And your sister?” “She’ 1 pianist.” our mother play?” a zitherist.” “And your fat “He's a pessimist. —Judye, 1912 An Oversight Judge—You are charged with breaking a chair over this man’s head. Prisoner—1 didn't mean to break the chair, yer worship. —Judge, 1912 | tae May—I went out west to see my father and mother the other day. ’ercey—By Jove! And how did you find the Carl Anderson in Judge, 1902. HE NEEDS THEM NOW “Oh, Lknew where they lived.” “What are you looking for, Jonesie?” —Jidge 1910 “Tm looking for a piece of coal that 1 threw at a cat last winter.” 4 comicbooks.com