Life — May 19, 1921 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a "Husbands' Number" cover featuring an Art Deco-style illustration of a tropical island fantasy scene. A woman in the center reclines luxuriously surrounded by exotic vegetation, palm trees, and decorative elements. The caption reads: "Shipwreck Survivor:--The deuce! Only my wife!" **The joke**: A man has survived a shipwreck and washed ashore on an island paradise—only to discover his wife is also there, ruining his fantasy escape. This satirizes the popular male fantasy of tropical island isolation (common in 1920s literature and adventure stories) while poking fun at marriage itself, suggesting wives were something to escape from rather than experience with. The "Husbands' Number" framing suggests this entire issue was devoted to husband-centered humor.