Life, 1902-03-27 · page 10 of 36
Life — March 27, 1902 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Life" Magazine Page 252 - Early Automobile Culture Satire This page celebrates the novelty and spectacle of early horseless vehicles through a large photograph captioned as "An instantaneous view taken in Central Park" showing multiple automobiles and spectators gathered around them—suggesting these were still remarkable enough to draw crowds. The accompanying text pieces mock both the vehicles and their operators. "Society" section satirizes wealthy socialites like Mrs. Perlsyn Baryls adopting motorcar culture as fashionable. "Modern Examples" humorously depicts financial schemes and questionable business practices supposedly typical of automobile owners and operators. The smaller "New Arrival" joke mocks the sound of early engines. Overall, the page satirizes the automobile as a status symbol and the dubious characters it attracts in this emerging technological era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
252 *LIFE* REMARKABLE INSTANTANEOUS VIEWS, TAKEN ESPECIALLY POR “ LIFE'S" SUPPLEMENT OP INTERESTING EVENTS, OP THE RECENT ENDURANCE TESTS OF HORSELESS VEHICLES, UNDER THE AUSPICES OP THE AUTOPHOBIA CLUB OF AMERICA. 1.—An Instantancous view taken in Central Park. A splendid exhibition of the marvelous endurance of eomo of the high-speed machines, On the right, coming with such a magnificent burst of speed, 1s Mr. J. Gadgers Hastings in his French water- motor," The Electric Chair."* The two gen- tlemen Just clearing the obstructions are Mr. Hotfoot Speed and Mr, Harder Overton {n their American van-clectrica, “ The Somnambalator,” and “Tho Sanguinary Dope."* Society. LEE MES: PERESEN BARYIS gavo a dinsor on Thars- di a lay. It was vory jolly. Mra, Shadio Ppast i amused the company with somo delight- ful stories, Even tho Dullern-Deths wero forced to laugh. Tho Bullifat Inkums bring out a daugh- }tor this winter, Sho is a great favorito with the young men. She will inherit about thirty millions, New York seems to bo full of real aristocratic people. XA _illy Muchinprint is a nephew of the Hon, Dwi Dambdole Skynn, and ho is vory devoted to his uncle. Billy doesn’t care much for work, but he loves #o- ciety, Ho always drosses well, His manners aro bad, but his clothes are the best. Tho Endless Dollas aro at Palm Beach, whero they will soon bo Joined by Mr. and Mrs, Ennyolo Figure and thelr three daughters. ‘EW ARRIVAL: When will it be time to take this thing called a‘ blower down from off this open fireplace ? Exrerrencep Marv: Lave it alone there until it do be too hot for yee to touch ; thin lift it off, Modern Examples. Tr men start out to be Brigadier-Generals. One enters West Point and the other becomes a yellow reporter, Supposing tho chances in favor of yellow journalism to be 3 to 1, at the ond of 20 yoars who gots there first ? ‘Three celebrated specialists, working 12 hours a day, can take out 30 appendixes in two weeks, charging $1,000 each, But 4 family physicians, working 14 hours a day, can tako out only 24 appendixes in 3 weeks, charging $250 cach. In what timo can 10 colebrated sposialists and 10 family physicians take out 300 ap- pendixes, and how much money changes hands? A man opens a bank for his wifo under tho following condl- tions: After making on initial deposit of $500, for every $100 he deposits thereafter sho Is to draw out $50, and as much as she {s absolute'y obliged to. Dut the man secretly puts in twice as much tho first month as agreed, At the end of three weeks how much is his account overdrawn? “ V HAT you are actually wearing is no business of the inspectors.” “Perhaps not. But the last time I came across I wore an air of disdain through the custom house, and they didn’t do a thing but make me pay about double duty.” comicbooks.com