Life — January 24, 1907 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Human Zoo" - Life Magazine Satire This page satirizes American political figures and social issues circa early 1900s. The main cartoon mocks Senator **Smoot** (identified in text), depicted as a performing fool in a tuxedo, suggesting he's making a spectacle of himself in the Senate. The accompanying "Song of the Centurions" poem ridicules senators debating Utah's polygamy and statehood, implying they're hypocritical ("here's a chance for him to be an angel"). A secondary section discusses **Mrs. Russell Sage** (widow of a wealthy industrialist) and her inability to effectively deploy her late husband's fortune—suggesting even vast wealth can't solve complex social problems. The "Human Zoo" title frames these politicians and wealthy figures as curiosities on public display, worthy of mockery.