Life — February 28, 1918 — page 21: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon from *Life* magazine satirizes photography and portraiture. The title "Mugged" is a pun: it refers both to having one's photograph taken (a "mug shot") and to being robbed or assaulted. The image depicts a photographer with an old large-format camera mounted on a tripod, positioned aggressively toward a distressed subject. The photographer's intense, predatory posture—leaning forward menacingly—suggests violence rather than a friendly portrait session. The subject appears alarmed and defensive. The satire targets either portrait photographers' aggressive commercial tactics or the invasive nature of photography itself during this era. The "Rogues' Gallery" subtitle reinforces the criminal connotation, suggesting photographers are thieves stealing subjects' dignity or likenesses. The visual exaggeration mocks the theatrical intensity some photographers brought to their work.