Life, 1903-06-04 · page 14 of 36
Life — June 4, 1903 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical fable titled "What's in a Name?" about a bored King who commands inventors to amuse him. The story showcases three major inventions: a wheeled vehicle, a boat propeller, and a telegraph/telephone system for transmitting messages and voice across distances. The satire likely critiques the era's obsession with rapid technological innovation and industrial progress. The King's endless dissatisfaction—growing bored with each marvel and demanding the next—mocks both wealthy patrons and society's insatiable appetite for novelty. Each invention represents real advances from the Industrial/Telegraph age (the page appears to be from early 20th century Life magazine). The small cartoon inset shows a cherub confused about making "rings"—likely a visual pun related to the telegraph's mechanical workings or a commentary on the abstract nature of wireless communication. The fable's moral appears skeptical: technological progress, no matter how impressive, cannot sustain meaning or contentment. The title's question about "what's in a name" suggests appearances and buzzwords matter more than substance in this rush for innovation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LAN DO Ne peTten.” NONSENSE] SPEAK IT SUST AS YOU say What's ina Name? ( NCE upon A time there was a great King, cTand that teemed with plenty. Ane growing restless soned before hime all the inventors of the K “Put your wits he said. a toy that will amus Twill pay well for it.’ “and make me DO NUT INSECT ENOUGH CONTEMPT, SPITE AND VENOM INTO THAT WORD.” MERT A RIVAL IN A REALSKIN SACQUE awhile one of the inventors aid to the All you hay Here King. 1 you eb and by makin with wheels to run on them, why, y over your Kingdom like the wind hat’s a great id id the King: to do is to Jay th be done. din a short time the King was rolling along in all directions, his new toy. ving fun with y, however, he grew tired of it, Sothe inventors and soon came forward with a fine idea. “Here,” he said to the 4 screw with a long Dlade. I will put it on to one end of a boat, and by revoly- ing it rapidly enough, you can go through the water like a huge fish.” Splendid,” cried the King. And it was not long before he was visiting all the foreign lands in his new toy. But by and by he grew tired of it, ‘Then another inventor came along and said : “O King, you pay so well for new things, what do you think of this? Dy stretching wires around T can not only vibrate messages from end of your Kingdom to an- other, but I can reproduce the sound of your voice so that talk around the one you can globe.” Excellent,” said the King. “Do this at on And when the thing had accomplished, he re= warded him with all kinds of been money. By this time all the ine ved his are two parallel min any a sin pu can yt “STRANGE! 1 CAN'T SEEM “Tt shall TO MAKE RING comicbooks.com