Judge — December 25, 1926 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Judge Magazine Cover Analysis This is the cover of Judge magazine from December 25, 1926 (price 15 cents). The title "Parlor Tricks" appears at the bottom of a darkly-lit photograph showing what appears to be two figures in an interior setting with a window visible in the background. The image likely relates to spiritualism or séance activity—popular entertainments in the 1920s that Judge frequently satirized. The dramatic lighting and theatrical composition suggest the cover is mocking "parlor tricks" as sleight-of-hand deception performed in domestic settings. The dark, shadowy quality emphasizes the mysterious or fraudulent nature of such spiritualist performances, which were subjects of public skepticism and journalistic ridicule during this era.