Life — September 6, 1917 — page 29: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon uses mock-archaic language ("ye goode olde days") to depict a massive war horse being broken in by tiny figures. The horse represents a new military weapon or technology being introduced to warfare. Observers in towers and windows watch the chaotic scene as the horse bucks violently, throwing riders and causing destruction below. The satire appears to criticize the introduction of new military innovations—likely referencing WWI-era weaponry or tactics—as destructive and uncontrollable. The diminished human figures struggling to manage this "newe war steede" suggest that modern warfare has become monstrous and beyond human control. The whimsical medieval framing underscores the absurdity of treating devastating new weapons as if they were merely novel additions to traditional combat.