Life, 1909-03-11 · page 28 of 36
Life — March 11, 1909 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a promotional page for *Life* magazine's upcoming St. Patrick's Day issue, using Irish-American stereotypes common in early 20th-century American humor. The leprechaun illustrations and phonetic Irish dialect ("Begorra," "Shure," "spalpeen") reflect how Irish immigrants were caricatured in period media. The page announces several themed special issues: Woman's Rights (March 25), Easter (April 1), Woman's Number (April 22), and Health (April 29). For the Woman's Rights issue, *Life* claims humorous neutrality on suffrage—readers will find arguments "on both sides"—a joke about the magazine's satirical approach to this contentious political debate of the era. The Woman's Number credits female writers like Gertrude Atherton and references "Mrs. Wilson Woodrow," likely relating to First Lady Ellen Wilson. Overall, this promotional material reveals *Life*'s strategy: combining ethnic humor with topical social issues (women's suffrage, health, Easter) to attract diverse readers through comedy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘The Begorra! SHURE IT’S COMING ; ue an Ede Morning “ee bie ST. PATRICK'S DAY IN THE) "22", a evening ever €0 LIFE'S Special St. Patrick’s No. C a Next Tuesday Masha ! all the world’s astage And all the min and wimen in it merely players ! They have their exits and their entrances An wan spalpeen in his toime plays many parrts. See margin of this page for the seven stages. The St. Patrick’s Number will contain a concatenation of contem- poraneous conviviality. endless Are you fond of snakes? Don’t fail to get this number. 3 fise Do you believe in the gospel of Humor? Read it and te convinced. Fs In the meantime, here are some of the special numbers to look F py fst fir ain, forward to: parted. Thus March 25. Woman's Rights April 22. Woman’s Number ae ai (Colored cover by CROSBY) ‘There are a great many people who think there is no humor in the saf- frage movement. Perish the thought! This number of LIFE is a living, breathing pictorial demonstration to the contrary. Doub less you have not made up your mind on which side of the fence you really are, with regard to this great question. Read this number, and you will be on both sides. April 1. Easter (Colored cover by LOWELL) Always put on something new Easter—it will bring you luck all the year around, New thoughts are best. You will find them right here, in the Easter Life. Replete with’ revelry of the most exalted sort. (Colored cover by CLAY) Who was it d that women have no sense of humor? He will bea dead one all right when he sees this number. Oh, of course there are serious things in it. Ag H Gertrude Atherton, Wilcox, Mrs. Wilson Woodrow and a host—cr should we say hostess — of others. No one but women can contribute to this number. April 29. Health Number (Colored cover by KILVERT) ** How are you old man ?"? “ First rate; never felt better.” ‘* Indeed, you surprise me, Last time I saw you, you were all run down.” “Yes, but since then I have been reading the Health number of LIFE.” (Order of issue subject to change) Note that these are only a few of the special numbers coming. Watch this page for anaouncements. to mak comicbooks.com