Judge — September 1937 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Revolt of the Upper Classes: The Rearing of the Barricades" This Judge magazine cartoon satirizes wealthy elites constructing barricades, apparently in response to some perceived threat. The title suggests irony—traditionally, barricades are associated with working-class revolts, not upper-class ones. The scene depicts chaos among well-dressed figures building fortifications above ground level, with a conductor or ringmaster figure at the center holding a diamond, labeled "CENTS AT WORK" (text partially unclear). The elaborate, comedic architecture suggests the absurdity of the upper classes attempting defensive measures. Without specific dating context, the cartoon likely comments on class anxiety during a period of labor unrest or social upheaval, mocking wealthy fears by inverting the typical revolutionary narrative—positioning the rich as the ones "revolting" or panicking rather than organizing workers.