Review of "The Stag At Eve," ideas by Walter Schmidt

Review of

The Stag At Eve, ideas by Walter Schmidt


Five out of five stars

 Published in 1931, this collection of cartoons ribald for the time is a look back at what was the limits of material that could be published in polite society. There are of course none of the harshest of the bad words and only the hints of actual sex. There are occasional bare female breasts as well as hints of backside cracks.

 The clothing, even that of the intimate occasions, is very much of the early thirties. Suits, ties and hats for the men, gowns, and jewelry for the women when they are in public. With few exceptions, all of the people are of the wealthier class, making it an outlier for what was really the case in the early years of the Great Depression.

 This is a humor book that must be seen through the lens of a historical retrospective to set the context of different times, both societal and economic. These cartoons were meant to amuse the wealthier people, not those struggling to survive amidst widespread hardship.