Life — October 17, 1918 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Meatless Days" - Life Magazine, October 17, 1918 This satirical illustration comments on wartime food rationing during World War I. The image shows a child sitting at a table with what appears to be a cat and dog as companions—suggesting the family has so little food that pets are now fellow "diners" rather than animals to be fed separately. The caption "MEATLESS DAYS" references the U.S. government's voluntary (later mandatory) meat rationing program implemented to preserve supplies for soldiers overseas. The cartoon's dark humor criticizes how severely these restrictions affected American families, depicting the absurd scenario where households must share meager rations with their animals. This reflects genuine public frustration with WWI-era rationing policies.