Life, 1917-08-23 · page 24 of 40
Life — August 23, 1917 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This post-WWI satirical piece proposes a darkly humorous "catalogue of trophies" for a fictional Hohenzollern Museum—a collection of objects representing German atrocities and Kaiser Wilhelm II's crimes. The satire works through an alphabetical list of increasingly absurd "exhibits," mixing real wartime horrors (the Lusitania sinking, Belgian child mutilation, Rheims Cathedral shelling) with grotesque invented items (a vial of glycerine from a dead German soldier, the Kaiser's mustache hairs). The X-ray "showing absence of brains" mocks the Crown Prince. The bottom cartoon shows children at play with the caption "They've beaten us out of our childhood, Eve; but it's never too late to mend"—suggesting generational trauma from the war. The suffragette joke references women's ongoing struggle for political recognition even after war's end. The overall message: Germany's leadership bears responsibility for systematic brutality, deserving public condemnation through this museum of shame.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AF WIRELESS WERE PERFECTED ! Suggested CATALOGUE OF TROPHIES FOR THE 1920 HOHENZ MUSEUM (Arranged in Alphabetical Order) The Kaiser has given to the Hohenzollern Museum, of Berlin, the gold pen with which he signed the lization order of July, 1914.—Daily paper. HIBIT A A piece of the -paper” treaty serap- between Germany and Belgium. it B—Bullet that-killed Captain Fryatt. t hibit C—Cut-off hand of Belgian child. hibit D—Dove. of peace, caged and starved during the -Essay on kultur, written by Kaiser Wilhelm. irst shell to be hurled at Rheims Cathedral. ell. pibit ibit G—Gun that shot Edith C:; i / i t ; xhibit H—Hymn of Hate sung in Hohenzollern house- holds. } Exhibit I—Inquest of lunacy held upon William IL (Re- ; port of Board of Alicnists). Exhibit J— Justice and How I Have Abused It.” Dying t confession of the last German Emperor. . } Exhibit K—Key that locked the door of Democracy to Germany. . Exhibit L—Loaded shell that failed to explode when aimed ata crucifix. dldam: THEY'VE BEATEN US OUT OF OUR CHILDILOOD, EVE; BUT IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO MEND Exhibit M—“ Me und Gott” speech delivered by Kaiser. <hibit ail driven in von Hindenburg’s statue. Exhibit O—Order for ruthless submarine warfare signed by militarist party. Exhibit P—Pen that signed the mobilization order of July, 1olg. Exhibit Q—Quart phial of glycerine extracted from dead body of German soldier. Exhibit R—Rust made by a tear that fell upon the Kaiser’s sword because of his pity (?) for Belgium. hibit S—Sectior. of the torpedo that sank the Lusitania. <hibit T—Throne of the last Emperor of Germany. Exhibit U—Uniform of the first Hun to outrage a woman on enemy soil. <hibit V—V-shaped hair from the Kaiser's mustache. hibit W—Wheel of the first U-boat to sink a hospital ship. Exhibit NX—X-ray photograph of the Crown Prince’s head, showing absence of brains. Exhibit Y—Yellow streak of cuticle taken from the back of Emperor William, Exhibit Z—Zeppelin that dropped first bomb upon a British orphan asylum, Harvey Peake. Suffragette Wife: cotxc vome To your MoTHeER, EU! A LOT OF SYMPATHY YOU'LL GET FROM AN INCULATOR ! comicbooks Bev