Life — September 22, 1927 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Journalistic Portraits: William Hale Thompson" This page satirizes William Hale Thompson, Chicago's Mayor. The text mocks his political posturing—noting he's made voting "the secret vice of some very good people" and claims he could have made Philadelphia's Sesquicentennial successful, yet his "administrations are said to be perfectly terrible." The top cartoon shows Thompson (identifiable by his hat and cigar) meeting with another figure, likely a journalist or political operative, in what appears to be a back-room deal or interview—satirizing corrupt political dealings. The lower cartoon depicts radio listening, with a caption about tuning out advertisements, suggesting commentary on Thompson's use of media for self-promotion or political messaging—a relatively modern concern for the 1920s era when radio was emerging as a political tool.