Life — December 13, 1906 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Reversible Plot" and "The Rush Hour" This page contains satirical commentary on high society and fashion, illustrated with two cartoons. **"The Reversible Plot"** mocks wealthy women's obsession with horses and elaborate costumes at shows. The text describes absurdly expensive outfits (green velvet, diamonds, plumes, furs) worn to display horses—yet the "noble animal" deserves appreciation for itself alone. The accompanying "Evolution of the Horse" drawings humorously contrast an idealized show horse with an awkward, poorly-ridden one. **"The Rush Hour"** depicts a crowded boat, appearing to satirize overcrowding or chaotic Christmas shopping/holiday travel among the masses. The pieces suggest Life magazine's critique of upper-class vanity and conspicuous consumption, while treating common people's experiences with comic exaggeration.