Life — November 13, 1931 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page presents a visual word-puzzle contest from *Life* magazine. The challenge asks readers to solve a rebus about "The Depreshun" (Depression) affecting multiple countries listed at top: America, China, France, Latvia, England, Germany, and Chile. The puzzle uses illustrated symbols and words to create a cryptic message. Key visual elements include a boat labeled "Life," various figures in distress, an auction scene, and references to "dissolution" and economic hardship. The scattered images of poverty (empty bowls, auction scenes, struggling people) reinforce Depression-era suffering. This appears to be commentary on the Great Depression's global reach, using satire and wordplay typical of *Life's* satirical approach. Readers competed to decode the hidden message for a $10 prize, with solutions promised in the following week's issue.