Life — September 25, 1913 — page 15: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes the Tower of Babel story from the Bible, reimagined as a modern construction site. The "Tower of Babel" sign advertises "Schimag Construction Co., Contractors & Builders," while visible signs reference the "Eden Trust Co." and property available to let. The satire mocks contemporary construction chaos and commercial development, suggesting modern builders create the same confusion and disorder as the biblical tower. Multiple workers in various poses—some suspended, some scattered—illustrate pandemonium on the job site. The title "History as It Might Have Been" indicates this is an imaginative take on how ancient confusion might parallel modern construction mishaps. The cartoon likely critiques either urban development, labor conditions, or commercial greed through religious allegory, presenting chaotic building projects as modern equivalents to humanity's biblical hubris.