Life — October 11, 1917 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This October 1917 *Life* cartoon satirizes the contrast between wartime privation and continued indulgence. The well-dressed man in a business suit and hat sits on a tricycle (appearing childish or unstable), holding what appears to be sandwiches or provisions while eating heartily. A dog accompanies him on the left. The satire likely targets wealthy businessmen or profiteers who maintained comfortable lifestyles and adequate food supplies during World War I rationing, when ordinary Americans faced food shortages and restrictions. The tricycle suggests precariousness or absurdity—his "business" prosperity rests on unstable wheels. The caption "A Business Man's Lunch" emphasizes the irony: while ordinary citizens struggled with rationed meals, privileged men of commerce continued feasting, potentially profiting from wartime conditions.