Life, 1904-04-21 · page 3 of 22
Life — April 21, 1904 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct pieces of social commentary: **"Does It?"** critiques wealthy office workers who accumulate fortunes while remaining emotionally detached from their success—a critique of Gilded Age materialism. **"'Twas Well"** satirizes nouveau riche pretensions. After thirty years accumulating wealth, a man's family now aspires to "cut a splurge" and appear among "the best people," despite their working-class origins. The satire mocks their social climbing and assumption that money automatically grants respectability. **"Overheard on the Pier"** presents a customs inspector's dismissive observation of a wealthy wife's appearance after acquiring a Parisian mistress—suggesting moral corruption accompanies wealth acquisition. The cartoons collectively critique Edwardian-era materialism and social aspiration, depicting wealth as morally and aesthetically corrosive rather than ennobling.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HEN in the office sitting, * poRTRAIT “urine “sue ite CALL IT LIke WER AT ALL! 'Twas Well. T the end of thirty years Hiram h ccumulated a fortune. His and daughters were de- lighted. said they, with becoming we now not only have ugh to cut a splurge, but poor dear papa is too broken down to appear among the best people.”" “PORTRAIT OF ANOTHER LaDy.t" Overheard on the Pier. S this all?" demanded the Custom House Inspector, as he finished up Binks’s trunks. “Well, no,” said Binks. “I gotanew wife over in Paris—that little an over there with the pink cheeks is she.”” “AIL right,” “We'll have her a like a work of art. comicbooks.com