Judge, 1932-01-30 · page 9 of 36
Judge — January 30, 1932 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Analysis: Judge Magazine **Top Cartoon**: A man in formal attire approaches a car with two occupants, offering to sell a "silver fox cheap." This is a con-artist pitch—"silver fox" was slang for an attractive older person, but also literal fur. The joke plays on the double meaning and the "Psst! Buddy" approach typical of street hustlers. **Main Article ("Signs of the Times")**: Satirizes Virginia's historical markers commemorating George Washington's bicentennial. The author argues these markers use small lettering unreadable from cars traveling 50+ mph. He mockingly suggests adopting modern billboard advertising tactics—using huge eye-catching words ("WOW!", "ZOWIE!") to grab tourist attention, with actual historical details in smaller text below. The satire critiques both outdated historical preservation methods and America's growing billboard advertising culture in what appears to be the 1930s. **Bottom Caption**: References a "buttonhole manufacturer's" first theatrical production, though context is unclear from this page alone.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Psst! Buddy—swould you like to buy a silver fox cheap?” Signs of the Times Sixes this year marks the two-hun- ““dredth anniversary of the birth of George Washington, it is time to modern ize our historical markers. Consider the State of Virginia, There must have been quite a bit of shooting around Fredericksburg. A tourist driving through there sees, for fifty her side, miles on hers such as and “Three and “Grant's headquar historical mea hington’s troops... ters... Doubtless the markers explain more fully. but their lettering is small, and at fifty miles an hour the tourist: catches only the first two or three words. The tourist can't stop toe study history, not if he is trying to take Richmond. before dark, The markers ire oxcart signs in an Why don’t the Historical So- cieties take a tip from modern billboard advertisers ? auto v fifty miles an hour the tourist would tch a ylimpse of « or marker many yards square. “WOW!” is in huge letters. Right away the tourist is inter- ested. He reads in smaller letters about two feet hi “Sixty Hessians Bit the Dust Here! Down the highway he is startled tos “ZOWIE! He reads: On This Spot Dan'l Boone Choked An Indian!" It isn’t exactly modest, but it is better than having tourists return home with the vague that) “Washi ons roops” and Three brigades and ‘Grant's headquarters” happened. —Tom Sims JUDGE Bio Moment ix tHe Lire of a Burtronnore Maxcracteren He Produces His First Play comicbooks.com