Life, 1907-12-05 · page 28 of 68
Life — December 5, 1907 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes upper-class hypocrisy and press censorship through multiple pieces. The opening "Musical" section mocks wealthy New York society's pretensions. After extensive paragraphs describing opera attendees' lavish diamond-and-satin attire in obsessive detail, it concludes: "We are a simple, honest people, but we do love music"—the irony being obvious: these are anything but simple or honest. The "Dramatic Critics" section lampoons press censorship of theater reviews. It describes fictional critics facing legal consequences for insulting opera/theater managers by calling them religious names (Seven-Day-Baptist, Christian Scientist), concluding that theater and religion cannot be discussed together. The satire targets libel laws that effectively silence dramatic criticism. The cartoon labeled "A Hold-up in the Street" depicts what appears to be Financial Ward—a personified figure representing Wall Street or financial institutions being robbed/coerced, likely criticizing financial manipulation or corruption. The final joke about Tammany Hall's "straight ticket" questions whether political machines (Tammany was NYC's Democratic organization) can remain honest—suggesting they inherently cannot.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
I 'HE opera is again with us and it is good to know, through the New York Times, that on the opening night The Duchess of Marlborough, who made her first appearance at the Metro- politan since her marriage, and was in the box of her father, W. K. Vanderbilt, wore a white satin robe with point lace flounce sleeves nearly to the elbows, with bands of silver spangles going over the shoulders, She wore a round diamond tiara and a necklace of diamonds. Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt, Sr, was in black velvet and diamonds Also that Mrs. M. Orme Wilson was in mauve satin and spangled tulle, and wore her wonderful rubies. Mrs. Perry Belmont was in mauve velvet, with silver lace sleeves. Mrs. William D. Sloane wore pale mauve satin, veiled with white lace spangled in silver and pearls and diamonds. Mrs. James A. Burden, who was with Mrs. Sloane, was in a rich blue satin with silvered lace, and had a diamond bied in her hair. We are a simple, honest people, but we do love music “NY7HAT became of all the buds who were here last ar?” “Some have grown into bachelor’s-buttons, and some into wall-flowers.”” Among the Dramatic Critics R. WILLIE SUMMERS, late dramatic critic of the Saskatchewan Gazelle, has taken up farming this winter. Owing to his having intimated that Colonel Mulligrubs, of the Opera House, was a Seven-Day-Baptist, the courts have per- manently enjoined him from the practice of his profession John Gobwell, of the Eldora Banner, who was recently sent to the penitentiary for two years for calling Bill Wiggles, mana- ger of the Music Hall, a Christian Scientist, is writing his rem- iniscences of Patti’s farewells, of which he has attended seven- teen, for the prison paper. Now that the courts have decided that religion and the drama are not to be mentioned in the same breath, under penalty of excommunication, the publishers of the Daily Telegraph will probably suspend its chatty department, “What's Doing in the Churches,” and refuse to receive all religious advertisements. The Indiana “Bugle- Democrat has printed a double-leaded apology for the outrageous attack of its dramatic department upon the manager of the Spilton Lyceum, and has done it handsomely. “Mr. Dubbs,” it says, “is not only not a Presby- terian, as we charged, but has no religious faith whatever. We are glad to make this amende to our esteemed fellow-citizen.” Acting Ravies, of the Billville Bun, is to be tried at the next session of the County Court for lese majeste. ‘The proof is un- fortunately clear that forgetting the sacrosanctity of the mana- gerial profession, he addressed them in print as “Gentlemen of the Jewry.” A Political Question OLIVAR; Well, I see that Tammany nominated a straight ticke Dottiver: H’m! Well, about how long do you think it will keep straight? A MOLD-UP IN THE “STREET”