Life — April 25, 1912 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis The main illustration shows a Native American figure (depicted in period-stereotypical style) observing a Black man in formal dress through a window or barrier at the Bronx Zoo, captioned "IN THE BRONX ZOO / THE LAST MEMBERS OF A DYING RACE." This is bitterly satirical commentary on racial exploitation: the cartoon inverts the typical power dynamic, suggesting that both Indigenous peoples and Black Americans were treated as "specimens" for public display and scientific racism. By placing them in reversed positions, the artist critiques the dehumanization embedded in zoos, anthropology, and American society. The accompanying text promotes the "National League for Medical Freedom," opposing government health regulation—a contemporaneous anti-establishment position. The humor piece below about a theatrical star adds lighter satirical commentary on celebrity vanity.