Life, 1902-02-27 · page 9 of 20
Life — February 27, 1902 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 169 This page contains two separate satirical pieces targeting early 20th-century urban life. **Top Image:** "Entering the Metropolis by the N.Y. Central" depicts a railroad scene with a figure encountering a youth carrying a banner reading "Signes du Siècle!" ("Signs of the Century"). The youth mocks the newcomer's amazement at city life, suggesting that modern urban experiences—attending expositions and cultural events—are overrated compared to simple happiness. **Bottom Cartoon:** "Hear About Poor Automobiles!" ridicules wealthy automobile owners. The caption reveals the joke's target: a father cutting off his son with only five billion dollars due to automobile accidents. This satirizes both the nouveau riche's extravagant wealth and their reckless spending habits, particularly regarding expensive automobiles—then luxury items symbolizing wasteful excess. Both pieces mock contemporary urban pretension and wealth.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Here's to you, Brother {onry, Priace of Batten terg, wie gchiel We'll Welcome you with wein ang lassie fall allover Just because ‘tls you, tho brother of an give you Ups galore, and tell you many pretty tales you never heard before, Reporters will climb over you, they'll dog you night aud day, and tell juet how you cat and peror, Breathe, and what you didn't say. Our — vo rises statesmen and diplomatists and poli- to our ticians, too, will each man fight for pre. Mew. 80 cedence In toadying to you. With rapture bere’'n to keen Society will quiver to its base, and Ten dear “hot air” will be blown at you from Ngee dtd every lofty place. We'll jerk you here and poll you there, you won't have time to think; we'll wine you and we'll dine you, Oh, you'll never sleep a wink. We'll sound the horn and pound the drum and emile upon you bland, all aided by your countrymen, * Dot Leetle German Band." We'll bow be- fore your august heard that's trimmed 10 HE the breczc and great and ema and_ehort ai c SUP seize apo gh on Ws though «Fy 2 yet ie at : Freedom 1 be out (one ™ay know fore a crown, thoust Py, w just why, Each other % aur Tom Masson, ENTERING THE METROPOLIS BY THE N.Y. CENTRAL. Strenuous. HERE passed through the village a youth who bore # banner with this strange device: “ Soyons du Sidele!” When tho maiden hinted at him stopping and resting his face ae am TI “MEAR ABOUT POOR asToRBILT!” “No.” M19 FATHER'S CUT IM OFF WITH ONLY FIVE BILLIONS." “and hands, the youth laughed bitterly. "No," saidhe. ‘If I dc, how shall I read all the im- portant new books, to say nothing of attending all the Expositions?” And after all, what was it to be merely happy, in com- parison with being thorough- ly up to the times ? The Regular Thing. “ YES. , I've traveled one thousand miles on that automobile without an accident.” “Do you mean to say you have run over no one, broken no bones nor wrecked any vehicles?” “ But those are not acci- dents.”” comicbooks.com