Life — March 2, 1916 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon contrasts youth and age. On the left, a skeletal Death figure with insect wings and a tall hat holds a sword—representing old age and mortality. In the center stands an elderly angel or spiritual figure. On the right, a young child in a wide-brimmed hat and coat gazes upward innocently. The caption reads: "Something of Youth, in Old Age I Approve / But More the Marks of Age in Youth I Love." The satire criticizes the era's trend of older people trying to appear youthful through fashion and behavior, while simultaneously lamenting that young people seemed prematurely aged or world-weary. This reflects early 20th-century anxieties about generational decline and the corrupting effects of modern life on youth.