Life — September 2, 1926 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Explanation for Modern Readers This page contains two satirical pieces from *Life* magazine: **Top Cartoon:** A domestic humor sketch about large families. An elderly man boasts about his descendants—seven children, thirty-nine grandchildren, and twenty-two great-grandchildren—while a woman responds sarcastically that none of them would wipe her feet on her. **"The Evil Day":** A serious article about New York's financial collapse (likely referencing a banking crisis or economic crash). It describes unemployed men crowding park benches and closed businesses. The accompanying illustration shows figures falling from the sky, captioned "GET AN EAGLE!"—likely a political reference to Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs (the eagle being a New Deal symbol). The page contrasts light domestic humor with grave economic commentary, typical of *Life*'s satirical approach to American social issues.