Life, 1909-04-15 · page 20 of 36
Life — April 15, 1909 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces typical of early 20th-century *Life* magazine humor: **"The Scarcity of Freckles"**: A tongue-in-cheek lament that freckles have disappeared from fashionable society (Broadway, Bellevue Avenue). The author claims chemistry/cosmetics have eliminated them, and nostalgically mourns the loss of the romantic charm freckled girls supposedly possessed. It's social satire about beauty standards and modernization erasing "old-fashioned" feminine traits. **"Still Worse"**: A brief joke contrasting two marital complaints—having an invalid wife versus a perfectly healthy one (the implication being both present problems). **"His Cruel Craft"**: This references Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, criticizing his aggressive personality and how he provoked newspaper editors into defensive responses, which he enjoyed. It's political satire about Roosevelt's combative nature. The bottom illustration depicts a chaotic New York street scene near an automobile garage—likely satirizing early automotive culture's messiness and danger to urban pedestrians.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LIFE: The Scarcity of Freckles y look in vain for freckles on Broadway, Bellevue avenue, New- . in any of our principal cities. Even at summer ¢ very scarce. There was or, resorts, while occasionally seen, as a rule they a a time when freckles were worn by all classes. What is the cause of their passing ? The truth is that freckles go hand in hand (so to speak) with a strain of old-time se sue. No one can describe the emotions of the lover who contemplates, with beating heart, just the num- ber of freckles on the face of his beloved. Nothing can quite take their place. Now they have no opportunity to grow. Chem- isiry has intervened. ‘The girl with the freckled face had that rare charm whic! united with native modesty. Her freckles were represent iment that is no longer in v of certain virtue Still Worse ae . . n iS It's very depressing to have a wife who is an! invalid. PettyMan: Imagine what it is, then, to have one that is pericetly health: ALE the secret of happiness is to forget the unpleasant things. The other half is not to be found out His Cruel Craft Miss Bird: you KNow, GEORGE, 1 LovE TO HiDE IN THESE oe . HaNsoms. ILE malignancy of Colonel Roosevelt's nature shi self in the way he dealt with those who ant ¢ and called them names, but that the worse their state w: Where his cruel craft came in newspapers lost by li was in letting them sbrade and disfigure their frontispieces in He scolded them so The subscribers and readers that Roosevelt, pleced end to end, Teheran to Gibraltar (the lo It is 100 pathetic a subject to dwell upon. was only to draw th extend from way butting at him, The more they butted the better he felt, and ANY SIDEWALK IN NEW YORK IN THE VICINITY OP ANY AUTOMONILE GARAGE comicbooks.com