Life — November 25, 1909 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Husbands' Correspondence Bureau" — Life Magazine Satire This is a satirical advice column mockup titled "Husbands' Correspondence Bureau." The header illustration shows various caricatured figures representing different husband "types." The main cartoon depicts Mrs. Henpeck confronting three men, with the caption "WHO WERE THE THREE WISE MEN, JOB? 'BACHELORS!'" The satire targets henpecked husbands—men dominated by their wives. The joke references the biblical Job (a man of suffering) and the Three Wise Men, suggesting that the only truly "wise" men are bachelors who avoid marriage altogether. The column warns husbands against involving themselves in their wives' affairs, emphasizing that domestic life creates anxiety and nervousness—particularly when wives are involved in public movements or delegations. The satire mocks both nagging wives and the anxieties of married men in early 20th-century domestic life.