Life — March 25, 1920 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page from *Life* magazine (March 25, 1920) presents a rear-view cartoon showing a woman from behind, her hair in braids, wearing a dark dress with a white collar and button earrings. Multiple cherub-like figures appear to be working on her hair or head. The caption reads: "A REAR VIEW OF WHAT IS GOING ON AT THE FRONT." This is a visual pun playing on the double meaning of "front"—referring both to a woman's hairstyle (the front of her hair) and military warfare (the "front" of combat). The cherubs represent the elaborate effort required to create fashionable 1920s hairstyles. The satire mocks women's fashion practices by suggesting that achieving fashionable hair requires as much coordinated effort as a military operation.