Life — July 23, 1885 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Manufacture of Reformers" This page contains two satirical cartoons about the production of social reformers. The top cartoon shows a figure operating what appears to be a manufacturing machine with various inputs (scissors, tools, documents), suggesting reformers are artificially "manufactured" rather than organically developed. The bottom cartoon depicts someone at a desk or workstation, likely representing the mass-production aspect of creating reformers—implying the process is mechanized and formulaic rather than genuine. The title suggests satire of the Progressive Era's reform movements, mocking the notion that reformers are produced like factory goods rather than emerging from authentic conviction. The cartoons critique what appears to be insincere or commercialized reform activism, suggesting reformers follow predictable templates rather than individual principles.