Life, 1911-06-22 · page 40 of 44
Life — June 22, 1911 — page 40: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising**, with one satirical cartoon. **The Advertisements:** - Steinway pianos (luxury instruments) - J. & J. Slater shoes (high-end footwear) - Usher's whisky **The Cartoon:** The small illustration at bottom right depicts two **Black children** outside a bakery, speaking in exaggerated dialect ("dem ole tings," "dey jes spills"). One child declines expensive pastries, claiming rich foods will "spill a pusson's complexion"—a racial stereotype suggesting Black skin is fragile or easily damaged. **The Satire's Point:** This reflects early 20th-century racist humor common in Life magazine. The joke relies on stereotypical speech patterns and pseudo-scientific racism linking diet to skin tone. The cartoon appears designed to accompany the luxury goods above it—creating contrast between expensive products and working-class characters, likely for comedic effect among the magazine's affluent readership. By modern standards, the racial caricature and dialect are offensive stereotypes, not clever satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
If you are convinced in every argument for the Steinway and hesitate at the price, remember that it is the price that makes Steinway attributes possible. In Mahorany Case, $200. The name of the Stetne weay dealer nearest you, fogether vith itustrated Ulerature, sill be sent upon repurat and men tom of this magazine en STEINWAY & SONS STEINWAY HALL 107 ana 109 East 1¢th Street, New York Subveay Express Station at the Door ol ERSEY: Men and Women Possesses the individuality and subtle dis- tinction of an original which is never found in imitations The shoe which provides comfort and yet conforms to fashion’s exact- ing requirements of line and material Our’ new -golf boot for men, in tan, russia or brown buckskin. Elucher cut, no tips, reinforced at insteps to give: ided support isrec- ommended to those wishing a light weight comfortable shoe for golf. in tan, russia, or / buckskin Ask for the Black Bolle with the | Green Stripe “ NEVER MIND, MONEY, DEM OLE TINGS IS TOO RICH, ANYHOW, DEY JES SPILLS A PUSSON’S COMPLEXION" comicbooks.com