Life — February 11, 1926 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Working Girl According to the Congressional Magazine" This satirical cartoon by Guyás Williattds critiques how Congress portrayed working women. The image shows a crowded street scene with women wearing identical patterned coats and top hats—formal, masculine attire incongruous with the era's gender norms. The satire appears to mock Congressional perception of working women as either overly fashionable, masculine, or stereotypically uniform rather than individuals. The packed composition and repeated identical figures suggest Congress viewed working women as a homogeneous problem or curiosity rather than understanding their actual diversity and economic necessity. The caption's reference to "Congressional Magazine" indicates this critiques how lawmakers publicly discussed or misrepresented working women during this period, likely early-to-mid 20th century when female labor force participation was controversial.