Life — October 19, 1922 — page 13: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts three fashionable women in what appears to be a dressing room or boutique, examining clothing. The dialogue reveals the satire's target: Alice asks Virginia about her "alimony," and Virginia responds she'll invest it in "Liberty Bonds." Liberty Bonds were U.S. government securities sold to finance World War I. The joke satirizes wealthy women receiving alimony payments (divorce settlements) and, rather than spending frivolously on themselves, patriotically investing in war bonds—presenting themselves as financially responsible citizens supporting the war effort. The cartoon likely mocks either the pretension of such women's claimed patriotism, or ironically praises their contribution to the war effort, depending on the magazine's editorial stance at the time.