Life, 1910-05-19 · page 31 of 40
Life — May 19, 1910 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine is primarily **advertising** interspersed with editorial commentary on literary culture. The main satire appears in "The 'Dial's' Natal Day" section, which mocks the *Dial* literary magazine's focus on authors' personal habits and gossip rather than substantive criticism. The piece sarcastically notes that while readers prefer baseball reports to celebrity trivia about writers like Marie Corelli or G.B. Shaw, literary magazines nonetheless rely on such "prattle" to compete commercially against newspapers. The dominant imagery—exotic animals (rhinoceros, elephant, antelope, buffalo)—paired with the Winchester rifle advertisement titled "The Dreadnought of the Jungle" suggests a metaphorical comparison: the literary world is treated as a savage landscape requiring the right "weapon" (or magazine strategy) to survive. The page satirizes the commercialization of literary culture and magazines' compromises between artistic integrity and market demands for sensationalism. Roosevelt's endorsement of Winchester rifles adds prestige through celebrity authority—itself exemplifying the gossip-driven marketing the editorial critiques.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
EC ORIENTAL RUGS OF DISTINCTION TO MEET DECORATIVE NEEDS KENT-COSTIKYAN Marray Hill Building, 8 West 38th St., New York The “‘Dial’s’” Natal Day While the personal habits of more or less distinguished authors are not ob- noxious to us, we confess to liking better the basebail reports and the Herald's dramatic critiques. (The last dramatic criticism we recall reading in the Herald was the last one penned by Ais. Meltzer some years ago.) Of an incurious. mind, we do not greatly care whether Miss Marie Coreli: wears a straight front or a straitja: 4 whether Mr. G. B. Shaw wrote his Shakespeare essays by a tallow dip or by flashes of lightning; whether Laura Jean Libbey anointed her curls with The Original and (Genuine Chartreuse has always been and still is made by the Carthus- fan Monks (Pores Chartreux), who, since their expulsion from France, have n located at Tar- Fagona, Spain; and, although the old labels and insignia originated by the Monks have been ad- Sudzed by the Federal Courtsof this country tobe Sil the exclusive property of the Monks, their Yorld-renowned product is nowadays known as At first-class Wine Mer: tants, Hovels, Cats Ratjer & Co. 45 Broadway, New York, N.Y. Sole Agents for United Stas. Winchester Model 1895 .405 Caliber Rifle THE DREADNOUGHT OF THE JUNGLE eA ta) scline or in the good old-fashioned way, That Montaigne aroused his sleeping son with music, that Buffon wore lace ruffles at his wrist and a sword at his side when he set him down to write the Histoire Naturelle, that Thoreau made his own lead pencils and Stevenson his own style, that Flaubert declaimed and shouted his phrases so that his mother could not sleep, and that the Brownings did not read their poetry to each other— these things are good gossip. When ws GUNS and AMMUNITION THE W BRAND “CARLTON took his big double-barrel and advised me to take mine, as the sun had just set and it was likely to be close work; but I shook my head, for the Winchester 405 is, at least for me personally, the ‘medicine gun’ for lions.” Ex-President Roosevelt In Scribner's Magazine Used by Successful Hunters. Sold Everywhere Montaigne, Buffon and the rest are forgotten, personal ° intelligence con- cerning our temporary authors will be worth printing—but possibly not till then. Yet woe to the literary magazine which in this our commercial country eschews all prattle of industrious pen- men! So, at least, say the daring souls who have launched periodical upon periodical only to sce them succumb to the competition of the newspaper. (Continued on page 936) comicbooks.com