Life — February 16, 1905 — page 13: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts a massive cow-like figure labeled "WALL ST" (Wall Street), worshipped by a crowd of smaller figures. The image references the Biblical story of the Golden Calf—a false idol created when Moses descended from Mount Sinai—applying this religious allegory to American financial markets. The satire suggests that Wall Street has become an object of blind worship and devotion among the public, who treat financial speculation and wealth accumulation as a false religion. The crowd's reverent posture toward the Wall Street "idol" critiques the era's speculative excess and the public's uncritical faith in financial institutions. This appears to be from Life magazine's commentary on 1920s American capitalism and stock market culture, satirizing financial mania as modern idolatry.