Life — February 1, 1917 — page 21: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon from *Life* magazine depicts military figures in formal dress uniforms with distinctive tall feathered headgear, standing before a large crowd. The caption reads "A Family in Germany That Hasn't Lost a Member." The satire appears to target German militarism and warfare, suggesting that a German military family has avoided casualties—likely an ironic commentary on the devastating human cost of German military conflicts (probably World War I, given *Life*'s era). The implication is that such a family is exceptionally rare or even nonexistent, given Germany's heavy wartime losses. The elaborate military dress and formal ceremony underscore the glorification of military service, which the satire critiques as disconnected from the actual human suffering war inflicts.