Life, 1897-07-22 · page 14 of 20
Life — July 22, 1897 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes **Asbury Park, New Jersey**, a beach resort with strict moral governance. The top illustration depicts the beach under heavy religious surveillance—the "Founder" patrols to prevent nudity, bathing suits are waterproof and censorship-approved, and rule-breakers face punishment. The text mocks the hypocrisy: rigid moral control coexists with commercialism (a "pious brother" profits from bathing facilities). Most strikingly, the satire exposes racial discrimination—Black visitors are welcomed during revival meetings for their enthusiasm but then segregated into "reservations" when business matters. Babies, ironically, are the only ones permitted to break rules. The bottom cartoon (unrelated) depicts a patient struggling with a dentist or doctor, complaining about tongue control. The author, Joseph Smith, uses Asbury Park as a microcosm of American contradictions: religious authoritarianism, profit-driven moralism, and racial segregation masked as piety.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A WARM DAY AT ASBURY PARK. compel the shuddering wavesto embrace them. The Founder, telescope in hand, patrols the beach, vigilant to detect nudity. As the bath is a religious ceremony, not a hygienic measure, the bathing-suits are waterproof, and bear the tag that marks the censor's approval. Perchance some daring stranger dashes for the ocean in a Narragansett suit, but the shrieks of horror from the elect rally the legions of the Satrap, and the wretch is seized and cast into a dungeon, while his garb is given to the flames. Bathing ranches adorn the beach in great profusion, the gift of a pious brother who takes his reward, as becomes a lover of humanity, in a simple announcement of the fact that he is the giver, and that he is engaged in the manufacture and sales of certain wares. Babies are numerous and popular at Asbury Park, and every year, instead of flower carnivals or amateur circuses, the place turns itself loose on babies, which move up and down the beach in proud processional, unmindful of deacons and founders. They are licensed libertines in Asbury, the only ones daring enough to fly in the face of the laws and drink defiantly from bottles on the sacred sands. The colored brother is welcome at camp meeting and revival, his lungs and ardor adding excitement to the scene; but when the season of prayer is over the African is ordered intoa reservation,where he iscorraled. Religion and brother- hood are glorious, but business is business. Excursionists are welcome at Asbury Park, but they must remember that when they reach its borders the re- public ceases, and an unlimited monarchy begins. Joseph Smith, Patient : WOLD OFF, THERE! YOU'VE GOT HOLD OF MY TONGUE! Operator (in anger): WHO'S A DOIN’ THIS—SAY ?