Life, 1929-03-08 · page 30 of 44
Life — March 8, 1929 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a single-panel cartoon satirizing New York City tourism and urban life, circa early 20th century. The scene depicts Grand Central Terminal (identifiable by its distinctive arched windows and crowded interior) packed with tourists and visitors. The humor comes from overlapping tourist conversations revealing stereotypical sightseeing experiences: visitors asking directions to the Yale Club, pointing out Grant's Tomb and the Statue of Liberty, remarking on petticoats and blonde hair, and joking about parking violations and crime ("Whalen sure is getting away with murder"—likely referring to Commissioner Grover Whalen's governance). The cartoon mocks both tourists' naïveté and New Yorkers' cynical indifference to famous landmarks. The phrase "Stick 'em up!" suggests the casual criminality associated with the city in contemporary perception. It's gentle social satire about the contrast between New York's celebrated attractions and its gritty reality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
New York Life “Pardon me, ts this the Yale Club?” “Points” of Interest Around “T want roc worth of that, Mr. “Yeh, that’s the Statue of Liberty.” the Town Schultz.” “Down to that brown stone front— e Fis , * a “Hey! ya can’t park there!” No. 318.” Yes Willie, that’s Grant's Tomb. “Is that a blond hair I see on your “Whalen sure is getting away with “Ooh! look at that second one in the coat?” murder.” first row Bill!” “Look May! Petticoats!” “Stick ‘em up!” comicbooks.com