73. Today in 1920s Turkey: 29 March 1926 (Gold Diggers, Unite!)

(Cartoon by Ramiz, Akbaba or “Vulture/White-Bearded Old Man,” 29 March 1926, no. 346, page 2.)

Comments:
This cartoon tickles me both visually and conceptually. Let’s begin with the visual. Cartoonist Ramiz, whose signature can be found in the lower left corner of the composition, has placed three women before a nocturnal skyline dotted with the minarets and domes of Istanbul’s major monuments from the historic peninsula. The faint hint of a waterway dividing the plane occupied by the women and that of the old city is accented with a reflection of the moon which hangs in the sky above—further emphasizing the evening setting. The fashionable, well-dressed women are pictured from the bust up, in profile, and lined up in a formation, like a small army ready to attack. With their wrapped headpieces, bobbed hair, and heavy make-up, these women resemble typical 1920s flapper girls in appearance and perhaps in behavior as well…

Women’s flapper culture of the 1920s was characterized by material, worldly pursuits, especially in the area of sexual emancipation. Based on the view of the old city afforded to us in the image, it is safe to place these enterprising women in the Beyoğlu district, located directly across the body of water featured in the cartoon. Having landed themselves in Istanbul’s modern, entertainment district, the women are preparing for a rather prosperous night out. The text below the cartoon reveals a dialogue between two of the women that outlines their plan to “divide and conquer” any eligible, wealthy bachelor that may have the misfortune of crossing their paths. The women may represent simple, thrill-seeking, gold digger types or conceivably, they could comprise a savvy band of prostitutes… the artist leaves that level of interpretation to the reader. Nevertheless, as is usually the case, neither gender exemplifies principles of fidelity or romance. While the woman are planning to seduce a rich man for the sake of accessing his material wealth, their plan will only work if they manage to find a man dishonest enough to think he can keep three women in (what he thinks he is portraying as) a monogamous commitment to only one (his would-be “wife”).

As we’ve seen in previous posts, deceit can often turn into a two-way street.

English
— Now how are we going to divvy it up if we come across a rich one?
— What’s easier than that? One of us will be his lover, the other his mistress, and one of us his wife!..

Türkçe
— Şimdi zengin birisine rast gelirsek nasıl pay edeceğiz?..
— Ondan kolay ne var, birimiz sevgilisi olur, birimiz metresi, birimiz de karısı!..

(Entire page, Akbaba or “Vulture/White-Bearded Old Man,” 29 March 1926, no. 346, page 2.)