Life, 1910-11-24 · page 20 of 48
Life — November 24, 1910 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two satirical pieces mocking early 20th-century fashions and capitalism. **Top illustration**: Three caricatured elderly women in absurdly exaggerated clothing observed at an aviation meet on Long Island. The accompanying text sarcastically describes a "League" controlling women's fashion through surprise and novelty, claiming men need constant domestic surprises to prevent infidelity. The grotesque proportions and ridiculous garment names ("Yo-Ho Motoring Pants," "Entre Nous Sweater") mock both the fashions themselves and the pretentious marketing language surrounding them. **Bottom article**: Ellis O. Jones satirizes American capitalism by proposing that public streets should be privatized and financialized like corporations—complete with stock offerings and "watering" (stock manipulation). He argues that if streets were treated as profit-generating business ventures, they could benefit widows and orphans through dividends. The piece mocks both unchecked capitalism's absurdity and the era's tendency to monetize every public resource. Both pieces employ exaggeration and irony to critique contemporary social and economic trends.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PIG, s EF LMAN. VIG. 2.—THE YO-HO '? MOTORING PANTS. 3-—THE “ENTRE NOUS’? SWEATER. Some Quiet Divided Skin Effects for Elderly Ladies, Observed at the Aviation Meet at Hemstick L. I. In order to control the men we must constantly surprise them. The; will squirm, will denounce us, will declare that they are disgusted, but secretly’ they will be entranced. Our board of governors are now working on a method of producing new styles with wonderful rapidity. Only those who are members of the League will be informed of the new effects and they will all be notified on the same day ‘of any change. The membership is constantly growing and in a short time practically every woman of prominence in the country will be a member. It should be understood that all new designs will be wel- comed. The more startling and bizarre they arc the better. Do not stop at anything. In this way, practically all the talent in the country will be available. The League has sent agents out to scour the world for new materials. Every known form of mineral will be used and it is expected that some entirely new fabrics will be invented almost every month. Every woman who has her country and her husband at heart should be a member of the League. Unless the men are constantly confronted by noveltics in their own homes there is no telling where they may stray. All American women should therefore, bear this in mind, and also that as tLe materials will nearly all be American, they can get twice as many new styles for the same money. We shall open a pattern department soon. In fact, everything will be done to insure a crowning sociological triumph out of this great new movement. An Opportunity Unembraced W have missed a great opportuxity for magnate-making by allowing our strects to Lecome public property What a sad commentary on our boasted business acumen that these great arteries of commercial and social intercourse should yield no dividends, that no widows and orphans should live in ease and affluence because of their indispensable use fulness, that no great American family should have the credit of being the fathers, mothers, captains and kings of our strect industry. Here we have these broad, level ways, costing thousands of dollars, used by millions of people who are still able to pay. and yet they provide no direct profit to anyone. They are neither underwritten, stocked, bonded nor subject to panics. They have no fiscal year and their securities are not quoted on the Stock Exchange. They are not so high in the finan- cial scale even as the post-office, for it at least can boast a defici It is entirely safe to say that if our sireets were turned over to reliable private financiers, who would put them on a business basis, their securities, even unto the third and fourth watering, would be above par in no time. Ellis O. Jones. comicbooks.com