Life — October 19, 1911 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is the cover of Life magazine's Boston Number from October 19, 1911. It depicts a young schoolboy pointing at a wall map with a pointer stick, showing Boston Harbor and "The Common" (Boston's central public park). The boy wears glasses and formal attire typical of the era. The satire appears to be gentle civic pride humor: the Latin motto "BOSTONIENSBIUS OMNIA BOSTON" (roughly "Boston is everything to Bostonians") suggests the cartoon mocks Bostonians' provincial self-importance and tendency to see their city as the center of the world. The "Map of the World" label is ironic—the map shows only Boston, implying locals are so parochial they view their hometown as globally significant. This plays on Boston's historical intellectual prominence and residents' reputation for civic boosterism.