Life — September 25, 1931 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Travel Is So Broadening" This comic strip satirizes European tourism in the interwar period. The narrative follows a traveler visiting iconic landmarks—London (panel 3), Paris (panel 4), and Pisa (panel 7)—purchasing souvenirs and sightseeing. The final panels reveal the satire's point: despite visiting multiple countries and cultures, the tourist concludes Europe's need is unclear, while surrounded by children and ordinary people. The joke suggests that superficial tourism—collecting postcards and visiting monuments—doesn't actually broaden one's understanding of Europe's real social conditions or needs. This reflects 1920s-30s skepticism about whether leisure travel genuinely educated travelers or merely provided escapist entertainment while ignoring deeper social and economic realities abroad.