Life — January 26, 1911 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is a *Life* magazine "Theatrical Number" cover from January 26, 1911, priced at 10 cents. The cartoon, credited to James Montgomery Flagg, is titled **"Not in the Cast."** The illustration shows an elegantly dressed woman holding a small child, looking at theatrical notices or playbills on a wall. A top hat lies on the ground—likely belonging to a man. The title's meaning appears to be a joke about theater casting: the woman and child, though present, are "not in the cast" of whatever production is being advertised. This likely satirizes theatrical world pretensions or the gap between those involved in theater production and casual observers. The specific theatrical reference is unclear without additional context about 1911 Broadway productions.