Life, 1906-12-13 · page 19 of 28
Life — December 13, 1906 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a satirical cartoon captioned "For Sale: A Runabout Husband, French Type, Very Fast; Original Cost $50,000. Rare Bargain." The cartoon depicts a well-dressed man in a top hat being presented to a woman by what appears to be a salesman or broker, while another elegantly-dressed woman stands observing. The joke satirizes the commodification of marriage and male infidelity during the early 1900s. The "French type" reference likely alludes to stereotypes about French men and romantic/sexual escapades. The absurdly high original price humorously suggests the husband's diminished value—he's now being sold off cheaply, presumably due to his unfaithfulness or unsuitability. The cartoon mocks both the commercialization of marriage and the disposable nature of husbands in wealthy society. This reflects Progressive Era anxieties about marriage, gender relations, and the treatment of women as economic transactions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
FOR SALE A RUNABOUT IIUSHAND, TRENCH TYPE, VERY PAST; ORIGINAL Cost $50,000. “LIFE: 755 $250 will be paid Jor the best illustration of 6. Those who dance must pay the pipet. Old Proverb. $250 will be paid for the best illustration of 7. For if she will, she will, you may depend on’t ; And if she won't, she won’t; so there’s an end on’t. Aaron Hill, $250 will be paid for the best illustration of 8. None but the brave deserves the fair. Dryden. $250 will be paid for the best illustration of 9. But ne’er the rose without the thorn. RARE BARGAIN OF INTEREST TO ARTISTS Thirty-jive Hundred Dollars in Awards ARTISTS are invited to submit pic- tures illustrating one or more of the following quotations: $250 will be paid Jor the best illustratio 1. Oh wad some power the gif To See ourse : gie us others see us! Burns, $250 will be paid for the best illustration of 2. When lovely woman stoops to folly. Goldsmith, S250 will be paid for the best illustration ef 3. God helps them that help themselves, Benjamin Franklin. $250 will be paid for the best illustration of 4. Knowledge is power. Lord Bacon, $250 will be paid Jor the best illustration of s. In the adversity of our best friends we often find something which does not displease us. de Rochefoucauld. Herrick. $250 will be paid Jor the best illustration of 10, But there’s nothing half so sweet in life As love’s young dream. $250 will be paid Jor the best illustration of 11, Hope springs eternal inthe human breast. Pope. $250 will be paid for the best illustration of 12. In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. Tennyson. Moore. Two hundred and fifty dollars will be paid for the best illustration of cach quo- tation, the awards to be made by the editors of Lirr. Five hundred dollars additional will de paid for the best of these twelve draw- ings. The method of awarding this prize will be announced later. If one or more of the quotations should fail to inspire illustrations suitable for use in Lirr, there will in that particular case, or cases, be no award. Illustrations and all correspondence concerning this contest must be addressed to The Quotation Editor of Lire, 17 West Thirty-first Street, New York City, and must be received not later than July 1,1907. The awards will be made imme- diately after that date. The illustrations may be made in any medium—line, wash, oils or color—al- though it should be borne in mind that they are to be reproduced in black and white; and they should also be of a size suitable for reduction to about thirteen inches wide by cight inches high. Any artist may illustrate as many of the quotations as he pleases, and may send more than one illustration of any quotation. The accepted and paid for illustrations, together with all rights of publication, become absolutely the property of Lire. Each illustration should bear the name and address of the artist and also the quotation it is intended to illustrate. Artists should arrange for the return of unsuccessful illustrations, in case their return is desired. ~ comicbooks.com