Life — June 23, 1927 — page 19: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a political cartoon satirizing early aviation and commercial interests. Two figures labeled "Commercial" (large) and "Alison" (small) stand on a shore, looking up at an airplane labeled "Lindbergh" flying overhead. The caption quotes from Homer's *Odyssey*: "The harpies of the shore shall pluck / The eagle of the sea." The satire appears to target commercialization of aviation achievement. The "eagle of the sea" refers to the airplane (likely Lindbergh's famous transatlantic flight), while the "harpies of the shore" represent commercial interests trying to exploit or diminish the aviation accomplishment. The contrasting sizes of the two figures suggest satire about how different parties—possibly commercial entities versus smaller players—scramble to profit from aviation breakthroughs.