A complete issue · 28 pages · 1917
Judge — April 7, 1917
# "Kiss and 'Make Up'" This Judge magazine cover from April 7, 1917 presents a satirical cartoon by James Montgomery Flagg depicting a couple engaged in reconciliation after a quarrel. The woman holds a bottle (likely cosmetics or perfume) while the man appears to be applying makeup or powder to his face—a reversal of typical gender roles that was meant to be humorous to 1917 audiences. The joke plays on the phrase "make up," which means both cosmetic application and reconciliation after an argument. By showing the man applying makeup, the cartoon mocks masculine vanity or suggests he's being feminized through the reconciliation process. This reflects early 20th-century attitudes about gender and appearance, using physical comedy to illustrate domestic dynamics.
# Judge Magazine, April 7, 1917 - Contents Page This is primarily a **contents/masthead page** rather than a cartoon page. It lists Judge's editorial features and illustrations for this issue, published during America's entry into World War I (April 1917). The page advertises the magazine's mix of humor, social commentary, and art reproductions. Notable content includes pieces on contemporary subjects like "The New Summer Boarder" and "New York City Nursery Rhymes." The left side promotes expensive art reproduction volumes (featuring painters like Da Vinci and Rembrandt), marketed to affluent readers as home decoration. This reflects Judge's target audience: educated, upper-class Americans interested in satirical commentary and fine art. The page itself contains no visible political cartoons—it functions as an index to the issue's contents.
# "Spring Mud at Yapp's Crossing" This satirical cartoon depicts a chaotic rural scene during spring thaw, when muddy roads became nearly impassable. The illustration shows a crowded crossroads settlement with shops (including a "Clearance Sale" and "Candy" store), where townspeople and their vehicles are mired in deep mud. Children play while adults struggle with carts and wagons stuck in the muck. The satire targets the universal American problem of seasonal road conditions—before modern infrastructure, spring mud made travel and commerce extremely difficult. "Yapp's Crossing" appears to be a fictional small-town location used to represent rural America generally. The cartoon humorously exaggerates the scene's chaos to mock the ongoing infrastructure challenges faced by rural communities and the messy reality of frontier or semi-developed areas.
