in

An Illustration From 1921 Might Be The World’s First Recorded Meme

It might be tempting to think that the current generation invented the concept of memes — in reality, however, humans have probably been cranking out memes since they learned how to put pen to paper.

Recently, one Twitter user discovered that a comic from the ’20s actually utilized a format which has since been popularized by memes. (Specifically, the “how you think you look vs. how you actually look” meme. )

I guess since the iteration of cameras, it’s pretty much been a straight shot to Meme-dom.

Obviously, Twitter was shook.

And, if you’re skeptical as to whether this illustration actually dates back to the early 20th century, never fear: OP came with the receipts (i.e., sources).

The comic is actually from an issue of Judge Magazine printed in July of 1921. Judge Magazine was a satirical publication which apparently ran from 1881 to 1947.

Judge Magazine

That’s history for you, I suppose — always repeating itself.