Life — August 16, 1923 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Life Magazine Cover: "The Peach Crop" (August 16, 1923) This cover illustrates an allegorical cartoon about agricultural economics. A stylized tree labeled "life" bears human faces among its foliage—likely representing various social classes or demographics. Two figures (appearing to be laborers or farmers) prop up the tree's trunk, suggesting they provide essential support to the broader society. The title "The Peach Crop" and subtitle reference agriculture, a major American industry in the 1920s. The cartoon appears to satirize economic interdependence during this period: that working-class laborers literally sustain the "life" and prosperity of the nation, yet their contributions may be undervalued or taken for granted. The artwork is credited to "B. Gary Kilvert."