Life — October 16, 1902 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page from *Life* magazine satirizes industrial rivalry and wealth concentration in early 20th-century America. The top photograph shows Chicago's industrial landscape—"the metropolis of the West"—illustrating the scale of American manufacturing. The cartoon below depicts a figure (likely representing a wealthy industrialist or politician) shooting at automobiles while surrounded by other wealthy figures. The dialogue "I am going up in the Adirondacks shooting with a party of automobiles" / "Well, shoot all you can" mocks the leisure pursuits of the ultra-wealthy. The accompanying text discusses rivalry between wealthy men like McGovern and Cortright competing for Senate attention, and references President Baer's views on wealth concentration. The satire targets both the absurd extravagance of the rich and their political influence, suggesting their competitive vanity wastes resources and deserves public ridicule.