Life — March 26, 1903 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Life Magazine Cartoon Analysis **Date:** March 26, 1908 | **Issue:** Volume XLI, Number 1065 This page contains a single-panel cartoon titled "INCENSE" depicting two figures. A large seated Egyptian-style statue with an elaborate headdress dominates the composition. A man in work clothes stands before it, appearing to offer incense or worship. The caption reads: "Laborer: WELL, I'LL BE BLOWED! / Iris (to Osiris): AT LAST, A WORSHIPPER!" The satire appears to critique the veneration of wealth or industrial power—the working man unknowingly "worships" at the altar of some grand idol (possibly representing capital, corporations, or industrial magnates). The Egyptian aesthetic suggests timeless, quasi-religious devotion to false gods, mocking how laborers unwittingly serve powerful interests.