Life, 1903-11-12 · page 9 of 20
Life — November 12, 1903 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical poem and accompanying illustrations parody the classic nursery rhyme "Old Mother Hubbard," reimagining it as social commentary on 19th-century consumer culture and commercialism. The joke: Mother Hubbard seeks remedies for her starving dog from various tradespeople—a baker, joiner, barber, and scientist—each attempting to sell her their services or products. The punchline suggests these merchants exploit desperation through unnecessary, ineffective, or absurd "solutions" (scalp massages for hair growth, coffins, wigs). The satire targets commercial greed and the rise of advertising/consumer manipulation, implying that modern capitalism offers elaborate answers to simple problems rather than genuine help. The dog remains unfed throughout—the actual need goes unmet while merchants profit.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
* EIEE MWe ~ The New Old Mother Hubbard. LD MOTHER HUBBARD, she went to the cupboard, ‘To fetch her poor dog a bone, But when she got there the cupboard (only contained rem! of cold Shredded Cheapa Vita Breakfast Food, Oli and Peanuts), And so the poor dog had none She went to the baker's to buy him some (wholemeal) bre But when she came back (it is unnecessary to preceding verse that) The poor dog lay dead. She went to the (her next door nei heard her unne come in, and seeing the poor animal prone on the floor had read extracts to him from Mrs. Eddy’s latest book on the influence of mind over matter, with the natural result that) When she came back, The dog was a-laughin’, She went to the barber's to buy him a wig, But when she came back (he having picked up a cop: Catt of Beauty, had found that by massa of the our head for twenty tw hours and a half, you will produce not only a smile, but in the exuberance of his joy) The di The dog The dan “Your servant” (a term which this faithful friend of man, being a member of several trades unions, took exception to as an obsolete term, so after taking a brief résumé of his principles and convictions, and having dwelt on the fact that though he had devoted all the hours of his day which were not claimed by his rest cure toa develop-vour - muscle-eat-less-beauty-for-us-all-strenuous- he had been, still was, and always would be a pl good-hearted-street mOn-Or- gu could never hope to be the editor of a lad advertisement for any one’s complexion soap, with a sigh of profound relief and happy resignation), The dog said, ‘* Bow-wow.” Diamonds. NHE De Beers Syndicate (named in honor of De Beers who made South Africa famous) raising the price of diamonds seems not to have affected the trade. It is true that New York women are buying diamonds by the barrel less freely than formerly, but this is due wholly to unscrupulous dealers having packed the barrels with the largest diamonds on top. We have millions to burn, but not one cent to be beaten out of. Chance Acquaintances. “FLOW many wives did you say you have had?” she asked. “Ten. And how many husbands have you had?” “Seven, May [ask where you are from?” “Salt Lake City. And you?” “The Rialto. comicbooks.com