Life, 1900-07-05 · page 3 of 20
Life — July 5, 1900 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page Analysis The main cartoon depicts fashionable women lounging on a porch, with one reclining dramatically. The caption reads: "DARSED IF I CAN HAVE ANY FUN ON FOURTH OF JULY WITH THESE THINGS ON." **The satire:** This mocks women's restrictive Victorian/Edwardian fashion—elaborate corsets, long skirts, and layered garments—that made outdoor summer activities uncomfortable and impractical. The joke is that women are so constrained by fashion conventions they cannot enjoy Independence Day festivities. The page also includes three brief humorous pieces about summer life: "In Cherubtown" (about lazy summer days), "The Analysis of the Summer Vacation" (a mathematical breakdown of vacation components), and "A Made Man" (wordplay about social status and patriotism). This reflects early-1900s Life magazine's typical blend of social commentary and light humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“ DARNED IF 1 CAN NAVE ANY YUN ON POURTI OF JULY WITH THESE THINGS ON, In Cherubtown. N Cherubtown it’s quite the thing To go a-sprinting on the wing, To gallivant the livelong day And with the other cherubs play ; ‘To perch upon a fluffy cloud, And go star-golfing with the crowd. Life there has naught of human ills, No endless chain of horrid bills, No tailors out to make a haul, For cherubs wear no clothes at all, But spend their time in endless flights Through sunlit days and star-crowned nights Just to be frivolous they're hired, And, strange to say, they're never tired, Although to rest they can't sit down. They don't do that in Cherubtown ! Kate Masterson, The Analysis of the Summer Vacation. Anticipation Inconventence. iI health, compounded of tn hot rooms, insect bites, plumbing, loss of sle Irritation... Disappointment Fa Material for lying. Rest...... Satisfaction. Realization... A N imaginative man fell in love with a homely girl because she was so beautiful. A Made Man. COW Hat does Spendalot do fora living? He seems to have all kinds of money.” “Nothing.” “Lucky chap! Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, was he?” . “Better. He was one of the patriots appointed to show the Cubans what an honest government is.” The Strenuous Life. PO THE HEN: That’s a mighty energetic chick you have. Tue Hen: Very. That’s my son Ted; born with spurs, and his head turned. He can’t. stop.