Life — March 11, 1920 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Elevators and Hats" - Life Magazine Social Commentary This satirical piece critiques the etiquette debate over whether men should remove their hats in crowded elevators when women are present. The article divides male riders into three camps: those who keep hats on (deemed impolite), those who remove them (seen as overly deferential), and those uncertain and fidgety about the choice. The accompanying illustration shows an elevator scene with a woman and man, humorously depicting the awkwardness. The text satirizes the obsessive concern with this minor social rule, suggesting it reflects broader anxieties about changing gender relations and masculine propriety in modern urban spaces. The author (Benjamin De Casseres) proposes a referendum on the issue, mocking the controversy as overwrought.