Life — January 19, 1928 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Landing of the Rum Runners (If You Believe the Hall of It)" This cartoon by W.F. Enright satirizes Prohibition-era smuggling. The chaotic street scene depicts what appears to be bootleggers unloading alcohol in a crowded urban street, with vehicles, crates, and figures in apparent disarray. Multiple "BAR" signs visible in the buildings suggest speakeasies. The subtitle's skeptical tone—"If You Believe the Hall of It"—mocks exaggerated claims about smuggling operations. The cartoon likely comments on both the prevalence of illegal alcohol distribution during Prohibition and the sensational or dubious reporting about such activities. The dense, frantic composition emphasizes the scale and brazenness of the operation, satirizing how openly bootlegging apparently occurred despite federal law enforcement.