Life, 1909-09-09 · page 10 of 32
Life — September 9, 1909 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical cartoon depicts three hot air balloons carrying passengers, illustrating the early aviation craze. The "aero-knot" title plays on the double meaning of "knot" (a nautical speed unit and a tangled predicament). The cartoon mocks wealthy socialites experiencing the then-novel thrill of balloon rides. The accompanying text discusses hydrophobia treatments and references "Mrs. Mercedes Van Winkle," a society figure who bathed in the ocean. The satire targets upper-class leisure activities and their perceived absurdities—here, the fashionable new pursuit of aerial recreation. The tangled, knotted appearance of the balloons suggests both the novelty's chaos and the social entanglement of those participating in this exclusive pastime during aviation's early days.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Cheer Up ! HERE'S a chance of your not dying of hydrophobia. Remember the For the consola- the nervous we reprint a few ! of Zoophily One of the most efficacious ways of keep- ing the subject of onstantly 1 the minds when it scare of last summer. tion of items from the Jour# Peter, who wrote teur method il la don says: Tha Ks, asserted t ha the of the Pasteur met! «hyd Kotte RGN’ been shown hy statistics that re that method is employed ths from hydrophobia has minished AN AERO-KNOT So don't be scared to death if you bitten by a dog. He is Pasteur treatm en to be much safer than the She Bathes Mrs. Mercedes Van Winkle wer ing yesterday.—Dispa HE ocean, as was quite proper, was in a delightful mood. Hitherto it had been trea rather coldly, last opened it grew appropriatel No one else went in with Mrs. Mercedes Van Winkle. Several maids and a life- saving de| nt were, however, wa ing on the shore to sce that nothing went wrong 1 restricted to a While the lady bathed they conversed in undertones he spectators were few of the best people Her bathing suit will be described in detail in our Sunday issue. It will take up a full page, with illustrations. We may only observe for the present that it was appropriate for the occasion. The fact that Mrs. Van Winkle wore polka-dot noted cabled stockings may, n passing. It has already around the however, be been world. Rouen and h disturbed, to stripes this year. that although she jounced up and down in the water she did not p rings to & all afraid th that no Cherbourg are are runni as they It was also observed rmit her diamond ear. t wet. Not that she was a y would get rusty, but merely dy who has allows the salt hundred millions water to reach higher an her chin. ny was over a n motor- k her rapidly home She is now The Tariff Psalm HE tariff is my shepherd; [ shall not want It letteth me go off in summer to green pastures. It leadeth my yacht upon still waters. It letteth_ me engage preachers to take care of my soul. Yea, though I take long trips to Eu- rope, I shall fear no evil, for I know that the Tariff liveth and will nourish my income comicbooks.com