Life — September 18, 1913 — page 17: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon titled "The Millennium" mocks early 20th-century eugenics movements by depicting a "Government Institute of Eugenics" where matrimonial candidates are tested and selected. The scene shows various people being evaluated—some exercising to display physical fitness, others being examined by officials in robes. There's an "A.B.C." sign (possibly indicating grading/classification), bottles and other testing apparatus visible, and officials observing candidates like they're livestock at auction. The satire targets the pseudoscientific eugenics craze that was gaining traction in this era, particularly the absurd notion that governments should scientifically control human breeding to "improve" populations. The cartoon ridicules both the pretensions of eugenicists and the dehumanizing aspects of treating human reproduction as a state-controlled scientific project.