Life, 1904-12-15 · page 41 of 44
Life — December 15, 1904 — page 41: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **contest advertisement**, not a political cartoon. Life magazine is soliciting reader submissions for a title to a Charles Dana Gibson drawing depicting a romantic scene: a couple in a rowboat on a river, with swans nearby and a pastoral landscape behind them. **Key elements:** - Gibson was Life's premier illustrator, famous for his "Gibson Girl" imagery - Life (a leading satirical and humorous publication) is crowning the best title suggestion with a **$500 prize** (substantial in 1904) plus a year's subscription - Entries required a five-dollar subscription fee - The drawing itself appears straightforwardly romantic/sentimental—no obvious satire is present in the image - All participants received a free artist's proof as consolation **For modern readers:** This reflects early 20th-century magazine culture, where publications actively engaged readers through contests and Gibson's considerable cultural prominence as an illustrator.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Copyright, 1904, Lire WHAT IS A GOOD TITLE FOR THIS GIBSON DRAWING? The picture has no title. LIFE wants the best one that can be suggested. It is not a puzzle picture. The title may be a word, a line, a verse or a quotation. No suggestion for a title will be considered |The person who suggests Mr. Charles Dana Gibson draws regularly unless accompanied by Five Dollars to pay for the most appropriate fo, LIFE, the leading illustrated, humorous a:year's subsenption’ to LIPE.. Subscriptions title will receive a and satirical journal of the world. The Chirist- may begin at say tines, determined by the mas and other extra numbers of LIFE are e Editors of LIFE from titles submitted in the p f sent to subscribers without additional charge. competition. Write your title on an envelope, rize oO Send ten cents now for the copy of LIFE with your name and address inside. Enclose which will contain the announcement of the both with your remittance for subscription. It of thi y. d addr Suggestions must reach LIFE before February Ns is contest. Your name an: pectes 1, 1905. The result will be announced in will be put on file and the copy mailed to LIFE for February 23, 1905. you as soon as issued. In addition to the opportunity to gain the $500 prize, EVERY COMPETITOR WILL RECEIVE, FREE OF CHARGE, an artist’s proof of the picture, hand-printed on 17x21 India paper, plate-marked ready for framing. LIFE PUBLISHING COMPANY 22shzF"* An artistically printed catalogue, containing 135 miniature reproductions of prints and proofs by Gibson, Gilbert, Clay, Blashfield, Harrison Fisher, Crosby and others, published by LIFE, will be sent to any address on receipt of ten cents. A dainty volume which will be of service in the selection of holiday gifts. comicbooks.com