Life, 1910-12-15 · page 9 of 44
Life — December 15, 1910 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Illustration**: A satirical drawing titled "Society is Flocking South for the Winter" depicts wealthy figures (shown as silhouettes with wings) fleeing northward like migrating birds. This mocks the social elite's annual winter migration to warmer climates—a status symbol among the wealthy. **"The Débuntante Market" Article**: Criticizes Washington's debutante system, where young women from prominent families were formally introduced to society at expensive formal balls (costing $5,000-$10,000 each). The author argues this wasteful tradition is a "national disgrace" and satirically proposes establishing a state-run "debutante school" to standardize and regulate these frivolous coming-out ceremonies—mocking both the practice's excess and ineffective government solutions. **Bottom Cartoon**: A small humorous sketch about a mouse seeking ransom; context unclear from visible text.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NEWS {TEM SOCIETY IS FLOCKING SOUTH FOR THE WINTER The Débutante Market AN empty market-basket covers a multitude of political is- sues. HE distressing news comes that Washington is confronted with a débutante famine. While in that great city there are plenty of unoffi- cial débutantes, there is only one in sight in the official family. Last year there were at least a dozen, costing, per formal début, all the way from five thousand to ten thousand dollars each, That the débutante supply should have been al- lowed to reach such a low ebb is nothing less than a national disgrace. Social Washington 1s fully as smportant as official Washington. Social débutantes are fully as smportant as mili- tary or naval débutantes. For these others we provide a fixed and regular supply, entering a certain number each year. Why not do the same with débutantes proper? Why not provide that each State should send, say, one or two débu- tantes to Washington cach year? Or, better, why not estab- lish a national débutante school, where may be learned all the wining and dining and flirting and other fine arts of of- ficial socialdom ? £0.4. Mr, Mouse: mansom can, Laoy? MANSOM? MANSOM?