Life, 1894-11-01 · page 9 of 18
Life — November 1, 1894 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page from *Life* magazine contains several satirical pieces about social customs and relationships: **"No Change"** mocks the famous Shakespeare quote about roses by name. The text critiques a Newport society couple (the Hamersleys) for publicly announcing they'd closed their villa, suggesting their announcement was merely for social prestige rather than genuine privacy. **"In New York"** presents brief comedic dialogues: one about an artist's worth, another ("Would Drop Him Then") about marriage reform through humor. The central illustration depicts figures in leisure activities—children playing, a sailboat, fashionable people—surrounding a woman in classical pose, likely representing capricious female nature or romantic whimsy. These pieces satirize upper-class pretension, gender dynamics, and the performative nature of society announcements—typical *Life* magazine targets of the early 20th century.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ER FORETELL TO WHAT A WOMAN WILL GIVE HER HEART. 283 NO CHANGE. HEY saya rose as sweet would smell By any other name, And I am quite convinced as well The price would be the same. $$$ M® AND MRS. J. HOOKER HAMERSLEY have closed their Newport villa, and are at their residence, No. 414 Madison avenue.— Froma N.Y. Daily. This is a relief. There are thousands of Amer- icans who could not have stated with any certainty whether that number was 414 or 416, or even 41 or 14—and it is soothing to the national nerves to have it settled officially. | Moreover, there is copious balm in the knowledge that Mr. and Mrs. J. Hooker Hamersley have really closed their Newport villa, But is Mrs. Hamersley sure the cellar door was locked ? How about the attic windows ? What was done with the cat? And why tell us where this couple live when they come to New York? Their friends know already, and the reading public can have no possible interest in it. Perhaps this Mrs. Hamersley said to her husband : “If we do this thing well, J. Hooker, it may be recorded in the newspaper and add to our notoriety,” and perhaps he looked into his wife's face with a flush of excitement and an- swered, “That would be just lovely!" And then this Mrs, Hamersley, with that pardonable pride IN NEW YORK. ‘© TS he a good artist ?” She glanced at his innocent Philadelphia nibs with petulant disdain. “He is a clever artist,” artists are good.” WOULD DROP HIM THEN. ‘© 7 WISH I knew how to get out of marrying her.” “Why don't you reform?” she answered pityingly. ‘No = which often comes to the wife of a great man may have answered, as she clapped her dainty hands, “How that paper will sell!” And, lo! it all came to pass just as she had predicted, except, perhaps, that there was no remarkable increase in the sales of that issue. HE: Did you ever see a more perfect moon? HE (slightly under the influence): —Wer-wer-wish one are you ‘ferring to ?