Life — December 3, 1925 — page 35: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical cartoon titled "By One Who Has Never Been There," mocking armchair travel commentary and speculation about places the author hasn't visited. The drawing depicts an imaginary afterlife or paradise populated with various figures, activities, and dialogue bubbles containing vacuous observations ("It's been a great year," "My boy, in all my years of trapping, this is the best season I've seen"). The satire targets people who confidently describe or judge places they've never experienced firsthand. The title is the key: the author is explicitly admitting their complete lack of authority while still offering elaborate descriptions and opinions—a common target of *Life* magazine's humor about pretension, armchair expertise, and social pretense in early 20th-century America.