Judge — September 4, 1926 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Modern Rip Van Winkle—What! No Women?" This cartoon satirizes a man (drawn as a "modern Rip Van Winkle"—referencing Washington Irving's tale of someone who slept through major changes) who has apparently awakened to find women present in previously male-only spaces. The figure appears shocked or dismayed ("What! No Women?") at this social shift. The cartoon likely comments on early 20th-century women's increasing public visibility and participation in society—whether in politics, the workplace, or social gatherings. The man's bewilderment at women's presence suggests Judge magazine is mocking resistance to women's expanding roles and freedoms. The surrounding figures suggest a mixed-gender social scene that would have been unusual or controversial in earlier eras.