Life — May 18, 1922 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Life Magazine Page: Prohibition-Era Satire This page satirizes enforcement of Prohibition (1920-1933). The article "With the Material at Hand" offers humorous substitute cocktail recipes—Martinis made with French Vermouth, Bacardi made with rum substitutes—mocking both the law and creative workarounds by affluent hosts. The three cartoons below, titled "A Helpful Hint to Guests," depict social awkwardness around Prohibition. The leftmost shows a guest being asked to write something clever in a guest book. The middle and right panels appear to show guests struggling with inappropriate behavior or comments at dinner parties—likely depicting the tension between maintaining social propriety while everyone understood illegal drinking occurred. The satire targets the absurdity of Prohibition enforcement among the well-to-do, who simply substituted ingredients rather than abstaining.