Life — February 7, 1918 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Life Magazine Cover - February 7, 1918 This is a satirical illustration depicting a romantic couple in a WWI-era biplane mid-flight. The man appears to be piloting while the woman sits beside him, and they're embracing or kissing. Below, two other planes are visible, seemingly in pursuit or formation. The satire likely plays on the romance and adventure associated with aerial combat during World War I—a relatively new and glamorous theater of warfare. The magazine is inviting readers to submit witty titles for the image (offering $800 in prizes), suggesting the humor comes from the incongruity or irony of the romantic scene against the deadly backdrop of aerial warfare. This reflects how WWI aviation captured American public imagination as both dangerous and thrilling.