Judge — July 27, 1929 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Ancient Sources of Modern Inventions: The Cigarette Lighter" This satirical cartoon from Judge magazine humorously traces the cigarette lighter back to mythological and ancient sources. The central structure resembles a complex machine or contraption, with figures from classical mythology and history positioned around it—appearing to operate or interact with the apparatus. The joke plays on the popular "ancient sources" concept, suggesting that modern conveniences have precedents in classical civilization. By depicting mythological figures (likely including gods and legendary characters) struggling with an elaborate mechanical device to produce fire or light, the cartoon satirizes both the pretension of tracing modern inventions to ancient wisdom and the absurdity of imagining ancients engineering such contraptions. The artist is Cesare Forbell (credited as "Forbell").