Life — September 24, 1925 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Test of Valor" This illustration depicts a scene labeled "THE TEST OF VALOR," with a caption quoting: "MY FATHER'S A HERO AND BELONGS TO THE MARINES. THAT'S NOTHING—MY POP'S A PEDESTRIAN." The cartoon satirizes early 20th-century urban dangers by suggesting that surviving as a pedestrian in a city—navigating traffic and hazardous streets—requires as much courage as military service. The crowded, chaotic street scene reinforces this joke: civilian life in modern cities posed genuine risks. This reflects contemporary concerns about automobile accidents and pedestrian safety, which were emerging public health issues as motor vehicles became commonplace in American cities.