Life — September 22, 1921 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Anglers" by Charles Forbell This cartoon depicts the New York Stock Exchange building swarming with figures fishing from its facade and roof. The "anglers" are stock speculators casting lines downward toward a crowd of people gathered below on the street. The satire critiques stock market speculation as predatory—wealthy investors ("anglers") literally fishing for money from ordinary citizens below. The crowds represent the general public, while the building itself symbolizes Wall Street finance. The drawing likely dates from the early 20th century and reflects anxieties about financial manipulation and the gap between speculators and working people. The humor works through the extended metaphor of fishing: speculators "catch" money from unsuspecting victims below, much as fishermen catch fish.