Life, 1911-11-02 · page 1 of 56
Life — November 2, 1911 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Honored Guest" - Life Magazine Thanksgiving Number, November 2, 1911 This illustration depicts a nurse tending to a Black infant in a crib, titled "The Honored Guest." The cartoon appears to be satirizing Thanksgiving hospitality, though the specific historical reference is unclear from the image alone. Given the 1911 date and the prominent depiction of a Black child in a domestic care context, this likely reflects contemporary social attitudes. The nurse's attentive posture and the child's prominence suggest irony—perhaps commenting on how Black Americans were positioned within white American households or society at large. Without additional context about events or debates from November 1911, the precise satirical target remains uncertain. The artwork credits Coles Phillips, a prominent illustrator of the era.