Life — September 29, 1921 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Vanishing Man" by Richard Hughes This page presents a short story rather than political satire. The illustration depicts a couple in formal evening wear (she in a beaded dress, he in a tuxedo) surrounded by cherubs and decorative swags—a romantic framing device common to 1920s-era Life magazine. The story itself concerns a mathematics professor who mysteriously disappears, leaving only his trousers behind in his study. The narrator describes the bizarre discovery: the Professor's legs are cleanly severed at the ankles, with his severed feet still in his boots. This appears to be a fantastical fiction piece exploring impossible or supernatural disappearance—playing on the "magician's vanishing act" concept—rather than social or political commentary. The dialogue quoted ("I hope you don't mind my kissing you?") suggests romantic comedy elements.