Life — April 7, 1921 — page 25: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains two satirical cartoons about early automobiles from Life magazine (dated April 7, based on the header). The top cartoon titled "VIRGINIA: If All The So-Called Virginia Ham Really Came From There" depicts a crowded street scene with numerous pigs, suggesting Virginia's ham industry is so massive that pigs would literally flood the streets if all the marketed "Virginia ham" actually originated there. It's a joke about false advertising and regional product claims. The bottom cartoon, "THE AUTO SHOW," depicts three men at an automobile exhibition examining cars. The humor centers on early automobile enthusiasm: one man admires a car's beauty, another prefers a bus's design, and the third seeks a Ford spark plug. The satire mocks the obsessive, detail-focused nature of early auto enthusiasts and the emerging car culture.