Judge — May 12, 1928 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon is titled "If there had been saxophones in those days," presenting an anachronistic fantasy. The image depicts a medieval castle scene with a dragon flying overhead while two small figures below play saxophones and appear to be dancing or celebrating. The humor lies in imagining medieval knights or peasants possessing saxophones—an instrument that wouldn't be invented until the 19th century. This is a straightforward visual joke about temporal impossibility rather than political satire. The cartoon likely plays on the emerging popularity of jazz and saxophones in early 20th-century America, humorously suggesting how different history might have been with this modern musical technology available to medieval inhabitants.