Judge — September 4, 1926 — page 19: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page collects comic sketches satirizing 1920s leisure activities and social behavior. The top panel mocks overly modest beachgoers—a woman criticizes a man for exposing his legs in swimwear, calling it improper. The subsequent sketches lampoon wealthy tourists and their pretensions: a man eager to go fishing with apples for bait, urban sophisticates trying to reach "125th Street," and a fashionable couple taking a night boat to Albany. The final panel ridicules horseback riding culture, depicting a society man admitting he bets on horses solely for the jockey's appearance rather than genuine interest in racing. The satire targets upper-class affectation, prudishness about modern swimwear, and the performative nature of leisure pursuits—people engaging in activities for social status rather than authentic enjoyment. The cartoonists mock both excessive modesty and shallow materialism characteristic of Jazz Age urban society.