Life — June 19, 1919 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Seeing Things at Night" This satirical illustration depicts what appears to be a bed scene where a man lying down is surrounded by grotesque, menacing figures wearing various labeled hats or headgear (visible text includes "INCOME TAX" and other partially legible labels). The figures seem to represent personified fears or anxieties—likely taxes, debts, or financial worries that plague people at night. The cartoon uses the common satirical device of visualizing abstract anxieties as nightmarish creatures. The man's expression suggests distress, while the surrounding figures loom ominously. This reflects early 20th-century anxieties about taxation, financial burdens, or regulatory concerns. The title's wordplay suggests these are psychological "visions" rather than literal threats—commentary on how financial worries haunt people's sleep and peace of mind.