Life — October 27, 1904 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Information Wanted" - Life Magazine Satire This page satirizes **Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt's shopping habits and business correspondence**. The article humorously questions the First Lady's methods: she apparently uses ordinary notepaper with a Sagamore Hill stamp (her estate) for business letters to upholsterers and shoemakers, rather than formal stationery. The satire escalates with absurd queries: What quality were the samples? How much do handkerchiefs cost? Why order two dozen at a time? How long do items stay in White House laundry? The accompanying illustration titled "A Contented Disposition" appears to show people examining fabric samples or merchandise, likely visualizing the shopping scenario being mocked. The piece gently ridicules the disconnect between First Lady protocol and Mrs. Roosevelt's practical, informal business approach—treating high-society purchasing like everyday transactions.