Life — December 4, 1919 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Bootlegger" — Life Magazine, December 4, 1919 This Christmas-themed cartoon satirizes Prohibition, which became law in January 1920. The image depicts a figure dressed as Santa Claus interacting with two shabby, ragged men in a snowy setting—likely representing poor citizens or criminals involved in illegal alcohol trade. The satire suggests that during Prohibition, "Santa" (representing either illegal alcohol suppliers or the government's enforcement) would arrive bearing bootleg liquor rather than traditional gifts. The contrast between Santa's jolly image and the grim, criminal underworld of illegal alcohol distribution highlights the social chaos and moral complications anticipated from the imminent alcohol ban. The cartoon exposes anxieties about Prohibition's unintended consequences: organized crime and social disorder rather than moral improvement.