Life, 1908-01-16 · page 19 of 24
Life — January 16, 1908 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily an **advertising catalog page** from Life Publishing Company (circa 1907–1908), showcasing art prints available for purchase. Rather than political satire, it displays sentimental and comedic genre scenes popular in early 20th-century home decoration. The prints depict everyday American scenarios: railroad workers displacing rural residents ("Excuse Me, but Would You Mind Moving"), Irish workmen bickering, romantic couples, and domestic humor. One image references the Biblical Adam and Eve story as a joking comparison to modern courtship. **Key context for modern readers:** These hand-colored prints and photogravures were mass-market decorative items sold through magazines. The titles and quotations emphasize sentiment and gentle comedy rather than sharp satire. Prices ranged from 50 cents to $2.00—affordable for middle-class homes. The Ruskin epigraph at top frames pictures as essential domestic elements, legitimizing their cultural value during an era when home decoration reflected taste and refinement.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A room without pictures is like a room without windows.—RUSKIN Lifes P eoperoha tt by Lars Pew C8 | “EXCUSE ME, BUT WOULD YOU MIND MOVING A LITTLE TO 0 WE'VE COT TO PUT A RAILROAD THROUGH HERE." After Gordon Grant Hand-colored India Print, 22 by 18 in. $2.00 Copprene 107 by Lire Pen Ca. THE DESERTED VILLAGE Alter George W. Barratt Photogravure, 16 by 13} in. 50 cents ‘Coppice ta by Lire Pen Oo . ne way 8 k Shi pe re ppeanst Bisa “TAKE CARE PEWAT YE’RE SAYIN’, PAT CLANCY”? Alter Mark Fenderson Photogravure in Brown, 13} by 16 in. 50 cents Copyright 1097 by Lire Pr Cx THE WRECKER Alter Henry Hutt Facsimile in Color, 13 by 15 in, $1.00 Copyright 1977 by Lire Pra. Co. ; = “1 WONDER IF THEY'RE TRUE TO ME” After W. L. Jacobs Photogravure in Green, 13} by 16 in. 50 cents A copy of our illustrated catalogue for 1908 will be sent to any address on receipt of ten cents rints Copyright 1907 by Lira Pen. Co. ; HER CHOICE “Smile if ye will, But some heartstrings Are closest linked With simplest things.” Alter C. Coles Phillips India Print in Brown, 22 by 18 in. $2.00 Copyright 1908 by Lire Pray Co, f “YOU'RE THE ONLY GIRL I EVER LOVED” After C. Clyde Squires Handemounted India Print in Black, 22 by 18 in. $2.00 Copyright 1907 by Lere Pra. Ca . “TOMMY BROWN, IP YOU HAD BEEN ADAM IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, EVE NEVER WOULD HAVE HAD A CHANCE AT THE APPLE” Alter HH. Tooker Photogravure in Sepia, 134 by 16 in. 50 cents LIFE PUBLISHING COMPANY, 17 West 31st Street, New York City comicbooks.com