Life, 1901-01-31 · page 19 of 20
Life — January 31, 1901 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This single-panel cartoon satirizes the gap between appearance and substance. A well-dressed tourist points out a grotesquely twisted chimney on a cottage, asking if it draws properly. The rural resident replies that it certainly does draw—attention from every fool passing by. The joke mocks pretentious or ostentatious design choices that sacrifice function for showiness. The "rustic" character, despite his humble station, delivers the witty comeback that exposes the tourist's naïveté. This reflects a common Life magazine theme: urban sophistication often loses to rural common sense. The bent chimney represents anything impractical made merely to attract notice—a social criticism delivered through a working-class character's sharp observation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
~ ——EE THE RUSTIC SCORED. Tourist in Village (pointing to a peculiar chimney on @ cottage, which ts bent and telsted in @ most fantastic manner): 1 84Y, MY MAN, DOES THAT CHIMNEY DRAW? Rustic; ‘DEED AN’ IT DOKS, SIR. IT DRAWS THE "TENTION OP EVERY FOOL THAT PASSES BERE.— Moonshine. If you desire to make a amongst your friends as an expert a reputation cocktail mixer, buy the “Club” brand, follow directions, and your friends will wonder where you gained the art. Many a cocktail you have drunk and complimented your host for his art of mixing—the truth is you had a “Club Cocktail.” It merely required a little ice to cool it. You can do it just as well, FOR SALE BY ALL DEALERS. G. F. HEUBLEIN & BRO, HARTFORD. ’ NEW YORK. LIFE. Vol. 36 ready Feb. ist. and Gold, Full Black. PRICE, $4.00. If Copies are returned an allowance of $2.00 ts made. Bound in Maroon and Gold, Green {n competition with the lead- {ng manufact i otels,Cafes and by Leading I’ wrvoyors THE VARTRAY WATER Som ANY, BUFFALO, WN. Y., U. 8. A. a ee ae ey The Luxurious Every-Day Train to California The Overland Limited leaves Chicago 6:30 p. m. via Chicago & North-Western, Union Pacific and Southern Pacific System. Dining carsa la carte. Buffet Library Cars with barber. Draw- ing Room Sleeping Cars without charge. The best of eveything. Send for booklet “California Illustrated.” {81 Reoatoay ~ Cineinnat! & * |2KingSt.,East,Toreate,Oat. SS ti es — a a ee In old times whiskey was not harmful; that kind is not harmful now. | amy O10 OVERHOLT Bottled in Bond Direct from the barrel. A. Ovennoit & Co., PITTSBURG, PA.