Life — May 1935 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is a Life magazine cover (fifteen cents) featuring a cartoon about urban bird control or pest management. The scene shows a woman in 1940s-style dress observing a man on a rooftop attempting to manage what appears to be large decorative birds or bird sculptures using nets and tools. Behind them is a stylized New York City skyline. The satire likely comments on urban pigeon or bird problems in cities—a persistent nuisance requiring creative or absurd solutions. The exaggerated scale of the birds and the man's elaborate equipment suggest mockery of either overly complicated pest-control methods or the growing bird population in crowded urban areas. The woman's amused expression implies the situation is ridiculous or impractical.