Life — February 6, 1902 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Sightseeing in 1920" - Life Magazine Cartoon, February 6, 1902 This satirical cartoon imagines future tourism in 1920, depicting visitors in a boat viewing the **ruins of New York City**—specifically where skyscrapers once stood. The conductor's caption explains: depression will destroy the city, and though New York will eventually rebuild with new skyscrapers and underground tunnels, they suddenly disappear, leaving tourists sightseeing among empty ruins. The satire critiques **turn-of-the-century anxieties** about economic cycles and urban instability. The 1902 publication date places this during a period of financial uncertainty, and the cartoon mocks contemporary fears that American prosperity and growth might be temporary. The joke suggests New York's vaunted permanence and modernity could vanish as suddenly as it emerged.