Life — July 28, 1921 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Masqueraders" - Life Magazine, July 28 This page satirizes objects disguised to appear more fashionable or modern than they actually are. The poem mocks how everyday items are decorated deceptively: a telephone styled like a doll, a doorstop disguised as a cat, a shoehorn painted with flowers, and electrical fixtures camouflaged as candles and ribbons. The accompanying illustration shows a child encountering a cow, with the caption "Your mother's calling you." The joke appears to be visual wordplay—the child mistakes the cow for something else, or the "masquerade" theme extends to the unexpected rural encounter. The satire critiques early 20th-century consumer culture's tendency to disguise mundane household items with ornamental styling, suggesting superficial modernization over genuine innovation or utility.