Life, 1910-08-11 · page 23 of 40
Life — August 11, 1910 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This illustration satirizes wealthy invalids or chronically ill rich people. The caption "The Real Joy Riders" is ironic: the figure shown is being transported in a cart/carriage despite severe illness, yet appears to be enjoying life's pleasures through leisure and mobility that money affords. The accompanying text discusses chronic invalidism as a paradoxical condition—one can be "alive" yet incapacitated, yet still experience advantages unavailable to the healthy poor. The satire suggests that wealth allows the sick to continue "joy riding" (enjoying life) despite their ailments, while the text argues that many successful men have lived with substantial health problems acquired early in life. The cartoon implicitly mocks the privileged class's ability to live comfortably despite poor health, contrasting their circumstances with ordinary people who cannot afford such indulgences.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
20r die bow bis and wa to life ever not long ago to His emaciated was carried to room in the hotel the local doctor sent for. When gentleman had paying his visits © patient for one along with his came also the proprietor of hotel ho bills very rc ne for patient sent for he doctor and otel proprietor ppened to her The at silently mo them each to be i, one on each of his bed reigned, until at he proprietor of hotel, becoming nt, sard Vell, sir, you sent. for us can we do for | the patient I as he fluttered vills in his wasted ud replied ng particular. ood friends But as long as I with a thief on cn the condition hronic invalidism cr than that of ct health, which ly a condition of compos mentis. + all worthy pur commend ws to or wor malady that not incapacitate. enders one alive vdvantages of No great man lived who was ctely well. Any substantial, fatal acquired early h in life, ought to a man's success THE REAL JOY RIDERS comicbooks.com