Life — May 29, 1919 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 934 The top illustration depicts a rural train station scene with automobiles and people, captioned "A REPORT SPREADS THROUGH RIDGEVILLE THAT THERE IS A COOK AT THE STATION LOOKING FOR WORK." This satirizes post-WWI labor shortages, particularly domestic servants. The accompanying text discusses how traditional master-servant relationships may disappear, as workers demand better wages and conditions. It references how European immigrants previously filled these roles. The lower cartoon shows a domestic interaction about pricing, with the caption "HAVE YOU GOT A PRICE LIST?" The dialogue joke ("NOT A RECENT ONE, MADAM; BUT I CAN GIVE YOU AN OLD ONE, AND ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ADD FIFTY PERCENT EVERY DAY BY TWO") satirizes rapid inflation and wage increases of the post-war period. The humor lies in mocking the constant upward wage adjustments servants could now demand.