Life — September 20, 1917 — page 40: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a wartime propaganda cover titled **"Allies"** featuring a military helmet (likely German, based on the spiked design) being stabbed or pierced by what appears to be a bayonet or sword held by a gloved hand. The image uses the helmet as a symbol of the enemy military. Published during America's involvement in World War I (1917-1918), the cover uses stark visual metaphor to encourage support for Allied forces against Germany. The piercing weapon represents Allied military strength and inevitable victory. Notably, this is also a **Pall Mall cigarette advertisement**, showing how wartime messaging was integrated into commercial media. The juxtaposition—selling cigarettes through patriotic warfare imagery—reflects early-20th-century advertising practices.