Life — August 13, 1885 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page contains sketch illustrations satirizing military life, likely from WWI era based on the tent encampment and uniform styles. The top scene shows soldiers in apparent distress or complaint ("Half past two and all is well"), with a corporal of the guard addressing them. The humor appears to target military routine and the tedium of guard duty. The bottom illustration labeled "Reveille" depicts officers and men at dawn, with text suggesting commentary on military hierarchy and how "officers & men should rise" differently—likely satirizing class distinctions within the military structure. The artist's signature reads "Kemble" (likely Edward Windsor Kemble, a well-known Life cartoonist). The overall tone mocks military bureaucracy, daily routines, and social divisions between officers and enlisted personnel—common themes in wartime satirical publications.