Life — September 25, 1913 — page 19: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a single cartoon satirizing the relationship between financial hardship and romantic commitment. The scene depicts a man slumped dejectedly at his desk in a high-rise office (visible through windows showing city skyline), surrounded by scattered financial documents and papers on the floor. A woman stands at the door, apparently departing—the caption suggests she's abandoning him now that his financial circumstances have declined. The "ticker" references the stock ticker tape machine, symbolizing Wall Street and financial markets. The satire comments on the superficiality of relationships based on wealth: romantic love proves conditional when money disappears. The cartoon likely reflects economic anxiety from the early 20th century, when market fluctuations directly impacted personal fortunes and social standing.