Life, 1909-07-22 · page 26 of 28
Life — July 22, 1909 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertisements and light humor** rather than political satire. The main cartoon—"Portrait of a Cynic Wondering Which of the Oysters Is Bad"—shows a man examining oysters with suspicion. The joke relies on period anxieties about food safety; oysters were known to cause illness, so the "cynic" humorously debates which one might poison him. It's a dark joke about uncertain food quality in that era. The poetry and jokes are gentle social commentary: "The Old-Fashioned Bonnet" nostalgically critiques current women's fashions (described as impractical—"dish-pan effect," "waste-paper basket" shapes). The marriage joke mocks wealthy women as commodities. The rest of the page features **product advertisements** (Bromo-Seltzer, Calvert's toothpaste, shade rollers) and promotional content for Life Publishing Company's photo-art books and a business advice booklet—standard magazine filler of the era. No major political figures or events are referenced here.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Wisdom. a eeeetceall As your teeth are wanted to last—for time to come— SB begin at once their dail SELIZER * Galverts CURES 10c, 25, S0c, and $1.00 Bottles, bee Tooth Powder. Serect We The Old-Fashioned Bonnet How dear to my heart is the old-fashioned bonnet, The old-fashioned bonnet that Nell used to “wear; - Without any plums and red cherries stuck on it— The bonnet that didn’t require phony hair. The dish-pan effect may be stylish and stunning, The waste-paper basket that's lately come in May be qi the rage and recherche and cunning, But give me the hat she tied under her chin. —Detroit Free Press. “T would like mightily to enjoy riche “Then why don’t you try to marry ‘en “As I said, I want to enjoy ‘em."’—Kansas City Times. HARTSHORN SHADE ROLLERS ‘ollers ed ig PORTRAIT OF A CYNIC WONDERING WittCI OF Tit OYSTERS 13. BAD 9,059-Word Business Book Free Simply send us a postal and ask for our free ius trated 9.059-word Business Booklet which tells how riccless Business Experience, sqneered from the ives of 112 big. broad, brainy business mea may be made yours—yours to boost your salary, to increase yoor profits, “This free booklet deals with Hew to manage abosines ‘Blow to sell goods “Howto get money by malt Hew to bay at rock-bottom iow 3 gaan ep hl tee ook ad you to Re Rejctliion, yet tay be the beans of ea reader career.” Surely you You wil not deny youret it ot Fiend oa your System, Depefeici3, tata Fuk ine cotcerat. Conyebe toe Do You Ever Go Home? tyne co Copyright 181 Uy Life Pa Ca LOVE ME LITTLE Love ME LONG THEIR FIRST BREAKFAST Phot Then beautify your home things. On receipt of whose prices are given, twenty-five cents we are PHOTO-GRA- will send you our little ; 5 VURES of the high- book, edition of LIFE’S finish. Neither care nor PRID 160 reproductions of | - ‘l | spared to attain the these pleas tures. ograzure, 13%4x16 in, so cents, Photogravure, 13%x16 in. $0 cents, with cheerful : : The printsdescribed, the new pocket = est possible quality and NTS containing : | expense has been most artistic and i ¢ very best artistic re- ure-giving pic- sults, 160 Pictures for 2 A Cents Photopravure, 133% 16 in. 50 cents we LIFE PUBLISHING COMPANY, 17 West grst Street, NEW YORK comicbooks.com