Life — December 10, 1914 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Obstructing the Highway" This page from *Life* magazine presents three sequential illustrations satirizing the evolution of road obstructions. The top two panels show horse-drawn carriages and coaches blocking early roads—historical examples of traffic impediment. The bottom panel depicts modern automobiles of the 1920s-30s era similarly obstructing a highway, with a sign reading "Lincoln" visible. The satire's point: despite technological progress from horse-carriages to motor vehicles, human behavior remains unchanged—people still obstruct traffic through poor driving practices or road management. The caption "Obstructing the Highway" underscores that the fundamental problem persists across centuries, merely with updated vehicles. This reflects contemporary frustrations with increasingly common automobile congestion as car ownership expanded dramatically during this era.