Life, 1911-03-16 · page 42 of 44
Life — March 16, 1911 — page 42: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **self-promotional advertisement** for *Life* magazine, a major American satirical weekly publication. The page serves multiple purposes: **The Map**: Shows *Life*'s distribution across the United States, explaining that delivery times vary due to "elasticity of train arrivals"—a humorous acknowledgment of railroad unreliability, a common frustration in early 20th-century America. **The Editorial Content**: The editors humorously mock their own publication while promoting it, using self-deprecating humor ("afraid to praise this paper...for fear someone will think we mean it"). This was typical *Life* style—irreverent and self-aware. **Upcoming Issues**: Lists themed covers by various illustrators, including notably a "Breadwinner's" number described as "Socialist"—the editors note these socialist issues are their "most popular," suggesting *Life* had a progressive editorial stance and readership interested in social commentary. **The Pitch**: The closing "Obey That Impulse" encourages subscriptions at $5.00, promising the magazine "contains no information"—a joke emphasizing *Life*'s focus on humor and satire over serious journalism. The cartoons shown are generic celebratory figures typical of the era's advertising style.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
WHEN CAN I BUY LIFE? The map above will give an object lesson of the time LIFE is distributed throughout the United States. In each place the exact moment of the arrival of LIFE cannot always be predicated, owing to the elasticity of train arrivals, but the map is approximately correct. The Devil A Saint Would Be (Next week) We are getting so that we are almost afraid to praise this paper any more, for fear that someone will think we mean it. Still, it must be done. It’s business and pleasure combined. Besides, it is really so much better than anything else we see that something ought to be said about it occasionally, just to show that we know it ourselves. Now this number is the second in a series of three general numbers. We are taking a little early spring vacation from special numbers, just to run a trio of covers, each one of which is a pic- torial gem. Next week, for example, Mr. O’Malley’s cover reveals the Devil taking leave of New York for forty days. (He needs the rest.) It’s a remarkable cover. Look for it on the map. In the meantime here are some coming numbers: MARCH 30. TRAVEL. Cover by Dart, rep- resenting life on the planet Mars, APRIL 13. BURGLAR'’S. Cover by. Flagg. We had this number scheduled earlier, but postponed it in order to get in those covers before referred to, APRIL 20, THE GREAT DOG NUMBER. Cover by Hutt. We recommend this num- Subscription $5.00 ber highly and unreservedly. Every dog has his day and every dog will have his day in this number. APRIL 27. BREADWINNER’S. Cover by Anderson. Another Socialist. Number, radical, reflective and rollicking. These socialist numbers, by the way, are the most popular numbers we are issuing. MAY 4. COMMUTER'S. Cover by Flagg. We have been fairly revelling for months in the preparation of this number. It will make every suburbanite sit up. MAY 11. JOY RIDER'S. Cover by Siegel. This has been called the Joy Rider’s Num- ber merely on account of the cover. It’s a remarkably original and striking color scheme. Brings you right back to your boyhood—unless, like us, you have never gotten beyond that exciting period. MAY 18 CELESTIAL NUMBER. Cover by Paus. (Announcement later.) LIFE is om sale in Montreal Tuesday Noon MAY 27. We are keeping this date open to spring a surprise. And the best of it is that we ourselves don’t know yet what it is going to be. JU. 1. BRIDE’S NUMBER. Cover by Flagg. Are you a bride? If not, be one at once and rejoice in this number. If we can’t be a bride, be a bridegroom. t’s worth the price of admission merely to get into the atmosphere of a number like this. OBEY THAT IMPULSE For that spring tired feeling take Lire every week, as a regular sub- scriber. It tones up the system, con- tains no information, and costs you only five dollars, In Galteston, Texas, Wednesday 11 A. M. Canadian $5.50 Foreign $6.04 comicbooks.com