Life, 1909-10-07 · page 35 of 44
Life — October 7, 1909 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page mixes satirical literary commentary with period advertisements. **The Literary Content:** The main satire critiques the gap between literary reputation and actual readership. It notes Danish critic George Brandes' books sold only two copies in Britain, yet claims 100,000 copies sold in America twenty years prior—raising the question: "What has become of those 100,000 readers?" The piece humorously implies serious literature has a tiny actual audience despite claims of popularity. A secondary item celebrates poet Bloodgood H. Cutter's $900,000 estate, sarcastically noting it's reassuring that Americans occasionally pursue art rather than purely chasing money. **The Advertisements:** Two prominent tonic ads (Pabst Extract and Pond's Extract) dominate, targeting aging readers with promises of rejuvenation and vitality. A "Miss Cue" billiards advertisement appears at top left. The contrast is typical of *Life*'s satirical approach: juxtaposing serious cultural criticism with frivolous period advertising to mock both literary pretension and commercial snake-oil marketing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
@ is the Sensation of the Hour Send Thirty Cent: stamps for 7x12 togravure or make it Filty Cents and we include an assortment of ks Billiard Chalk and If Sticker Cue Tips postpaid. “Quickstick" for cuc tips sticks anytbing—bot glue—in tubes—twenty five cents, Ask for Booklet—shows Miss Cue at Billiarés—NO CHARGE William A. Spinks & Company 362 Erle Street Chicago lactorers Splats Hilliard Chath aod ly manatacterervet eve tipe tn C0OSCCCCOCOCR The Literary Zoo (Continued from page 490) And now comes the Danish critic, George Brandes, with sundry sweeping corrections of an interview published in a literary journal, the British Weekly. The interviewer, with | fine indignation, has said that the sale of Brandes’ books was limited to forty copii at of the British edition of his memoirs two copies were actually sold d the interviewer (and no- “that one was bought by would k of a fied to us a certain dedication : Ward Off The Ailments of Old Age By Reinvigorating the Body Has age begun to throw its cold blue shadow across your path? Or is it grasping in its vise like clutch some one dear to you? At this stage the active recuperative power of youth cannot longer be depended upon. Little ailments, ordinarily brushed aside, often cause grave illnesses. Don’t wait for sickness. Come to the aid of nature by the liberal use of Pabst Extract q 24 : The Best Tonic It is the staunch vigor of barley malt and choicest hops. Rich in the tissue build- ing qualities of the former and the splendid tonic properties of the latter, it revital- izes the blood and rebuilds the muscles and nerve tissues. Glowing and sparkling with vitality it fortifies the system and strengthens the entire body. Dear reader, you are gentle, kind, And amiable and constant, too; But ‘twould not pay this book to bind if there were only one of you. But Brandes, it appears, is really read by others n Mr. Huneker and the interviewer. Twenty years ago, at any rate, 100,000 copies of one of his books were disposed of in the United States. The author, as it h profited not a penny by this populari thical question involved sinks into insig- nce before the query: What, has become of those 100,000 readers of serious literature? Converts, perhaps, to Professor and Mr. Mabie. Who can tell? A Mil E cannot tell exactly why, but a feeling of cheerfulness pervades us when we read that the estate of a Long Island poet— the late Bloodgood H. Cutter—is officially esti- mated to be worth upward of $900, It is perhaps too much to suppose that tine bulk of Mr. Cutter’s fortune was amassed through his industry in verse. In the absence of exact biographic details, we cannot even assume that he laid its foundations by close application to thyme and_metre. Nevertheless the news is cheering. That a man with so much money should have flirted with the muse even as an innocent recreation, when he might have made another million or so in the time thus wantonly expended goes a long way toward refuting the charge that Americans are wholly ab- sorbed in gainful pursuits. mernal ionaire Poet Physicians of repute everywhere are constantly vouching for the merits of Pabst Extract, The ‘‘Best'’ Tonic, by recommending it to strengthen the weak and build up the overworked; to relieve in- somnia and conquer dyspepsia; to help the anaemic and aid the nervous; to assist nursing mothers and invigorate old age. Order a Dozen from Your Local Druggist Today Insist Upon It Being Pabst A Library Sip, geod for Becks and Megaslace, lepeched with cach bettie. Booklet and Picture "Baby's First Adventure" sent free on request. | PABST EXTRACT CO. MILWAUKEE, WIS. | | Omar wrote three rhymes to the quatrain, If his use Guee we saw acopyeat the Rebéiyk: in the A PILGRIMAGE to the tomb of Omar Khay- yam. has been made by Major Sykes British Consul-General in Many worthy persons will applaud the pilgrim’s devotion, Omar was an honest poet who always of capitals seems at times over-profuse, it must be remembered that he did not enjoy the ad- vantages of modern typewriting and proof- reading. When you consider that he wrote real poetry his popularity is astounding. AFTER SHAVING USE private library of a Prohibitionist, wedged in between the complete poems of Mrs. Hemans and the works of Ralph Con: or, Somehow or other the word has been passc« around that the possession of his poems implies the pos- session of “culture ”—an advertisement that needs no electric sign in a country of womans’ clubs. We hope some day to see the tomb of Omar set up in Central Park. It is pretty generally believed that he was an Irishman, and that his real name was O'Mar. Mean- while, if some philanthropist will provide a /PONDS EXTRACT w RELIEVES IRR. TATION--PREVENTS INFLAMMATION--ASSURES COMFORT ette tor Booklet * FS aaving Essenti POND'S EXTRACT COMPANY. New York, N.Y. tomb’ for the collective remains of his paro- dists we shall undertake to supply the as- sassins. comicbooks.com