Life, 1908-01-09 · page 3 of 22
Life — January 9, 1908 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes wealth disparity and social climbing in early 20th-century America. The main illustration depicts a wealthy woman in an elegant black dress surrounded by well-dressed men in formal attire, suggesting a high-society gathering. The caption references "Dick" and "poor Molly" - apparently a cautionary tale about a woman left with only life insurance after a man's death, implying financial instability despite social connections. The left column's poem mocks New York Street cleaning and urban decay ("touch not a single drift"), contrasting with the genteel society scene above. The right column discusses a statue of Marcus Aurelius at Goddard Brown University, donated by Moses Browne's estate, noting Aurelius was "a kind of minister" - likely satirizing pretentious philanthropy and classical affectation among the wealthy. The overall message critiques superficial upper-class values.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
YES, DICK IS GONE, AND HERE'S POOR MOLLY LEFT DESTITUTE WITH ONLY HER FACE AND THE LIFE INSURANCE WHICH RAN INTO. SEVEN FIGURES. By a New York Street Cleaning Commissioner 'ORKMEN, spare that snow! ‘Touch not a single drift. Let slush and blockades grow And all the people shift As best they can. Why cuss? To Gotham mud we bow. In youth it spattered us And we'll wade through it now! Authority IRST ACTOR: This roadbed isn’t what it used to be. Seconp Actor: No. And that chap who was walking with us the last five miles says it won’t be any better. “Who is he?” “President of the road.” “SS JANUARY CART HOWEVER, SHE HAS MANY FRIENDS AND MAY GET ON Y THE gift of the late Moses Browne the Goddard Brown University is to have an equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. It has long been known that Marcus was a kind of minister and his sermons are still popular. But this gift of him to Brown is the first intimation that he was a Baptist. a ae comicbooks.com