Life — December 13, 1929 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Hey! You up there!" This cartoon depicts children playing in urban rooftops during winter, building what appears to be a large snow structure or fort on tenement building rooftops. The illustration contrasts cramped, modest apartment buildings in the foreground with grand skyscrapers visible in the background—a visual commentary on economic inequality in the city. The caption "Hey! You up there!" suggests the children are calling to someone, likely playing a game. The satire appears to critique how poor urban children must make do with rooftops as playgrounds while wealth and grand architecture tower nearby. This reflects early 20th-century concerns about living conditions for working-class families in crowded tenement districts versus the luxury available to the wealthy.