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

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes wealthy financiers or businessmen through a scene of social observation. Two well-dressed men converse while others—including women and children—sit nearby. The dialogue reveals the satire's point: observers are trying to determine which man is wealthier by watching "which one he shakes hands with first," suggesting that social deference and handshake order reveal financial hierarchy. The joke critiques how people judge wealth and status through superficial social gestures rather than genuine merit. The title "Infallible" ironically suggests this method of assessment is foolproof, when it's actually a shallow and unreliable indicator of true worth. The illustration style and satirical tone are typical of early-20th-century Life magazine's social commentary on American class consciousness and materialism.