Life — December 2, 1926 — page 42: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical illustration depicts **Lucrezia Borgia** (a historical Italian Renaissance figure famous for alleged crimes and poison) mixing a Christmas cocktail for sailors or soldiers ("the boys"). The satire conflates two ideas: Borgia's notorious reputation for poisoning enemies with the act of serving drinks to military men. The joke appears to play on anxieties about women's roles—specifically, a dangerous woman providing hospitality to servicemen, inverting the expected domestic comfort into something potentially sinister. The nautical setting ("off the boat") and military uniforms suggest this may reference American military personnel, though the exact historical moment is unclear without the magazine's date. The humor relies on the audience recognizing Borgia as a symbol of feminine treachery.