Life — October 16, 1924 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features four child-created samplers—embroidered or drawn designs—presented as satirical commentary on modern life versus traditional needlework. The caption "If Modern Maidens Made Samplers" suggests the humor: contrasting what children actually think about with what traditional sampler-makers once stitched (usually moral maxims and domestic scenes). The samplers show: - "To my Shield" (Annie Psep, age 6): flowers and domestic imagery - "Happy Days": a couple in modern domestic life - "Idle Hours" (Patience Smith, age 12): a woman in a car—suggesting leisure and automobiles represent modern priorities - "An Old Sampler": a couple with children flying overhead The satire mocks how modern youth's interests (cars, romance, entertainment) have replaced traditional virtuous or domestic themes that Victorian-era samplers celebrated.