Life, 1903-02-19 · page 2 of 24
Life — February 19, 1903 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page is primarily a **legal/business document** rather than political satire. It reproduces a handwritten contract dated October 23, 1902, between Charles Dana Gibson and P.F. Collier & Son. The accompanying text (dated January 30, 1903) addresses a dispute about Gibson's drawing rights and reproduction fees. The Ladies' Home Journal had claimed a Gibson sketch sold for $80, implying his original work was undervalued. Collier's Weekly responds by publishing this contract to clarify that Gibson actually received a $100,000 agreement with them—establishing his substantial compensation and correcting the public record about his professional value and which publications controlled his work. This is essentially a cease-and-desist via transparency rather than satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
COPYRIGHT Fo1 AMES HENDERSON 1. ih GREAT @RITAIN BY UNOER THE ACT OF 109: To Remove All Misapprehension The Ladies’ Home Joumal, in printing on its front cover for February a small sketch by Charles Dana Gibson (not orginally drawn for that periodical, but an advertisement, arranged for by the publisher of his annual book), makes the misleading comment that “‘the original of the drawing sold in New York City for $80.” As we’ have recently con- cluded a $100,000 contract with Mr. Gibson, it seems proper to cor- rect the impression that the right to reproduce his orginal drawings may be had for any such sum as $80; and, in justice to Mr. Gibson an to the two periodicals which control his work (Life and Collier’s Weekly), we print, with his consent, the above contract, which shows the price paid for his original drawings at first hand. New York, January 30, 1903 COLLIER’S WEEKLY comicbooks.com