Life — March 29, 1928 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "An Easter Yegg" Cartoon Analysis This cartoon depicts a well-dressed woman in an Easter bonnet being accosted by a male figure in dark clothing—a "yegg" (period slang for a burglar or criminal). The satire plays on the contrast between Easter's association with springtime finery and renewal versus urban crime. The accompanying text "An Easter Yegg" identifies the joke: a criminal targeting fashionable Easter-goers. The woman's elaborate hat and coat represent the expensive displays typical of Easter Sunday promenading, making her an obvious robbery target. This reflects early 20th-century urban anxieties about street crime in cities, where holiday celebrations—particularly Easter's showcase of seasonal fashion—created opportunities for theft. The cartoon satirizes both the vulnerability of wealthy Easter celebrants and the persistent urban crime problem.