Life — April 29, 1920 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 783 This page satirizes **Spiritualism**—the popular early-20th-century movement claiming to contact deceased spirits through mediums and ouija boards. The top illustration depicts a séance scene with a woman "communicating" with ghosts on a staircase, mocking believers' credulity. The accompanying essay criticizes spiritualism as dangerous pseudoscience while acknowledging its mass appeal. The author argues that while some dismiss it as bunk, spiritualists have considerable cultural influence through books, lectures, and reputable practitioners. The lower cartoon about a driver's license examination jokes about modern bureaucratic absurdity—unrelated to the spiritualism theme. The small dialogue between "Horus" and "Pokus" mocks wealth display, using names suggesting stage illusion ("hocus pocus"), implying spiritualists are mere charlatans exploiting the wealthy.