Life, 1910-01-06 · page 25 of 76
Life — January 6, 1910 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine article satirizes Harvard's 1912 senior class election results as socially significant. The cartoon depicts a car stuck in mud—a visual metaphor for the "upset" that occurred. **The Context:** Traditionally, Harvard's class officer elections went to socially prominent, wealthy students ("society gentlemen"). In 1912, however, organized "masses" of ordinary students—"politicians" with a slate—won the positions instead, shocking the elite. **The Satire:** Life mocks the Harvard establishment's panic over this democratic result. The article argues this "ominous" outcome is actually healthy: it demonstrates that exclusive social groups can't control everything, and that mixing social classes teaches valuable lessons. **The Joke:** What horrifies Harvard's upper crust—ordinary students gaining power—Life presents as amusing and beneficial. The caption about the "exquisite rainbow" likely refers to the muddy mess, treating the elite's distress as ridiculous theater. This reflects Progressive Era themes: skepticism toward aristocratic privilege and celebration of democratic leveling.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
+ ‘corge (underneath): yes, wit “THE MOST EXQUISITE RAINBOW! "* The Masses Rise at Harvard ONSIDERABLE dismay has been reported from Harvard College over the unexpected result of the senior class election on December 13 for class and class day offices. There are a number of officers, largely ornamental, the three marshal- them, which usually fo e young gentlemen and leading who have ul attention ships among of grace, n to the social side of life. This year political leadership the masses of the cl: <a political machine whose bosses ma through on clection night without the least difficulty. So the politicians got all the places and the society gentlemen got nothing at all. This was amusing, but over in Cambridge it scems to be seriously taken as an ominous occurrence. a slate and carried it ¢ from Inside Car: om, Groce! Georce, pear—guick! 1s 17? WHAT 1s 17? To us it looks not ominous and interestin going on to into more familiar all but very wholesome, In all the colleges the t all the various so nd brotherly relations with one another, instead of breaki as the which touch only at their circ we see it, is likely to be furthered 2 election, which demonstrates some o present system and points the valuable moral that exclusive ness works both ways It is very dificult to regulate the social relations of a class of six hundred youn’ bound to flock together a good deal. To temper that tendency a litte jolt that comes in the natural course of events is worth reams of exhortation. en, Birds of a feather are comicbooks.com