Life — November 17, 1910 — page 29: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical cartoon depicting a silhouetted female figure holding aloft a marriage certificate. The figure is positioned like a religious icon or saint, with arms raised triumphantly. The certificate and surrounding text reference a 1918 marriage in New York City. The caption—"NOT TO BE TAKEN FROM HER CROSS / BY ORDER OF THE BISHOPS OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH"—suggests the satire targets ecclesiastical authority's stance on marriage, likely mocking either the church's control over matrimonial matters or a specific marriage controversy involving Episcopal bishops. The "cross" reference plays on religious imagery while positioning marriage itself as a burden or trial. Without additional context about the specific 1918 event or individuals involved, the precise target remains unclear, but the satire appears to critique institutional religious control over personal relationships and women's status within that system.