Life, 1911-06-08 · page 11 of 44
Life — June 8, 1911 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Main Cartoon: "A Bromide Breaker"** The illustration shows a man in conversation with well-dressed figures in formal attire. The caption indicates he's the author of "The Back Stairway" who presents himself with "originality" when asked if he wrote another work titled "The Back Stairway." The joke mocks pretentious literary figures who use clichéd phrases ("bromides") while claiming originality—a common satire target in early 20th-century Life magazine. **Supporting Content:** The page includes book reviews and notices about "The Gray Goose" and articles on swimming and club membership. The satire targets intellectual vanity and the publishing world's self-important posturing, typical of Life's satirical approach to American cultural institutions and the artistic community's pretensions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A BROMIDE BREAKER “anyway, NALITY.” “was HE?” PENDIP, THE AUTHOR OF STAIRWAY’ HE DIDN'T SAY ‘GUILTY. The Gray Goose A NEW BOOK (Note to book reviewers: specify the class you mean ing your “ads”?) Why not chen ‘writ T will make every baldheaded man’s hair stand on end. It will grip every Free Mason. It scintillates with brilliancy for all electrical engineers. It overflows with human nature for all sailors. It sparkles for all sodawater clerks. It is of vital interest for all hangmen and electrocuters. There is not a dull line in it for knife sharpeners. ‘re BACK STAIRWAY,’ HAS SOME ORIGI- WHEN THE LADY OVER THERE ASKED HIM IF HE WAS THE AUTHOR OF ‘THE BACK It has a masterly style for all dress- makers. For watchmakers it has the most deli- cate workmanship. It is tense with interest for all rope makers. It throbs for all railroad engineers. EW YORK HUSBAND: But, my love, it would cost us $5,000 a year to keep a machine. New Yorx Wire: I know, John, but think of the money we'd save in car- fare! HE school people tell us that the subjunctive is going. If this wasn’t so pathetic it might be interesting as a sign of progress Wi Art and Commerce Art is disgraced! HE verse I wrote— Fair Aphrodite’s Sonnet,” Bought little Jim a billy-goat And Jane a Sunday bonnet Art writhes in pain! “To One So Fair” And “ Musings of a Mummer” Secured for Sue some golden hair And satisfied the plumber. The crowning shame! My masterpiece Called “Verses to a Lily,” Resulted in new axle- 7 Ae A BOOK ON HOW To SWIM Self-preservation the First Law in Clubs BY way of offering cons: Jews because certain clubs hospitable to them, President 1 the other day that worse things happen to men than to be kept out of clubs, and he added : I have had it happen to friends of mine— Gentiles—who have been kept out of ciubs by people who are not worthy to button up their shoes, and who have no standing save in clubs. But surely, Mr, President, they did quite right from the point of intelligent self-interest. If those chaps who have no standing except in their clubs, should let in people whose shoes they are not fit to lace, they would have no standing anywhere. They have to be exclusive. Social self-preservation demands it of them. The value of a club for them is that inside of its doors they are in a measure relieved from the pressure of competition. If they lose that relief they are gone.