Life — October 22, 1903 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features a satirical engraving titled "Appropriate Group of Statuary for the New York Custom House." The image shows an allegorical female figure (likely representing Justice or Commerce) with wings, standing over prone or fallen figures amid scattered debris and destruction. The satire targets corruption at the New York Custom House. The symbolic composition suggests that official negligence or malfeasance has caused ruin—the fallen figures and wreckage imply financial loss or moral collapse within the institution. By proposing this grim "statuary," Life mocks the Custom House's actual state while ironically suggesting such a monument would fittingly represent its condition. The decorative header proclaims this is "Property of the Middletown Club," a satirical ownership claim emphasizing institutional corruption.