Life — February 7, 1918 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Life Magazine Title Contest Page This page announces a title-writing contest for a cover illustration visible elsewhere in the issue. The contest offers $500 for first prize, with smaller amounts for second and third place, plus special bonuses for soldiers and sailors. The accompanying sketch shows soldiers in a trench during World War I, with one soldier writing home. The caption reads: "DEAR ETHEL: Your first pair of mittens are a great success. They are a constant source of delight in the trenches, and I wear them even as I write." The joke appears to contrast domestic comfort (homemade mittens) with the brutal reality of trench warfare. It's gentle humor about soldiers maintaining morale through small gestures from home—a common satirical theme during WWI when Life frequently addressed wartime experiences.