Life — October 6, 1927 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cover satirizes social hierarchy and class distinctions through the caption "By their DOGS ye shall know them." The image shows a well-dressed woman and man (appearing to be from the upper class, based on clothing and posture) with two small dogs—one appears to be a fashionable lap dog breed, the other a scruffier, mixed-breed dog. The satire suggests that people's choice of pets reflects their social status and pretensions. The juxtaposition implies that even among the wealthy, there's a hierarchy of "acceptable" dogs—purebred versus common breeds—mirroring human class distinctions. The 1920s context emphasizes the era's obsession with status symbols and conspicuous consumption during the Jazz Age.