Life, 1904-12-03 · page 3 of 22
Life — December 3, 1904 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains humorous classified advertisements disguised as "Circular Letters of Real Merit." The cartoon depicts a man addressing three seated figures, with the caption: "Can you sit with my daughter every night and still do your regular business, sir?" / "But that's my regular business." The joke satirizes opportunistic businessmen advertising dubious services. The advertisements below parody common scams and services: - A "baby-checking" service offering to monitor infants abroad - An anti-boredom insurance scheme - A "hair-loss cooperative society" promising to protect clients from aggressive hair-restoration salesmen The satire targets both fraudulent businesses exploiting consumer anxieties and the gullible public willing to pay for absurd "solutions" to everyday problems. It's social commentary on commercialism and consumer culture.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Copyright, 1904, by Life Publishing Co, IH “CAN YOU SIT UP WITH MY DAUGHTER EVERY NIGHT AND STILL Do YOUR REGULAR BUSID Some Circular Letters of Real Merit. Cuecx Your Bases, EAR MADAM: Knowing that you have a fine baby who, though beautiful and lovely in every way, is keeping you from making your accustomed visit to Europe, we beg to call your attention to our unique system of checking. By having your baby checked in our care, you can go away for an indefinite period. He will have the best medical attention and nursing, and in case by any act of Providence—which we can only bow our heads to—we should “BUT THAT'S MY REGULAR BUSINESS.” lose him, we will replace him with another at our own expense. The charges are merely nominal. Send for catalogue and price list. The Baby Checking Institute. Don't Be Boren. EAR SIR: Do your friends or relations bore you? Are you being annoyed by stories you have heard before, and long tales that can have no possible in- terest to you? Are there people call- ing on you who never know how to leave? We insure you absolutely against being bored. Our system is complete and effective. By our patent secret process we keep you entirely free from all annoyances. By the day, week or year, Telephone or telegraph us at once. The Never Bore Concern. EAR SIR: Are you bald-headed? If so, we agree to protect you absolutely against all hair restorers, We will prevent their agents from calling on you or their circulars from reaching you. Ashort trial will convince you of the value of our method. Proud-To-Be-Hairless Cooperative Society. comicbooks.com