Life, 1911-07-27 · page 34 of 40
Life — July 27, 1911 — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical story attacks early 20th-century consumer culture and fraud. Henry Wickwire's entire life consists of fake or adulterated goods—imitation silk, "rolled gold" watches, cheap "seconds" shoes passed off as quality, counterfeit mahogany furniture, and food deliberately adulterated with chemicals and lime water to deceive buyers. The satire's bite sharpens with his hypocrisy: as a claims clerk, Wickwire dismisses customers' legitimate complaints about short shipments as "fakes," while he himself traffics in deception daily—even arriving late to work, "short-changing his boss a quarter of an hour." The piece mocks both manufacturers who peddle shoddy goods with false finishes and the consumers like Wickwire who accept (or perpetrate) this fakery. It's a commentary on widespread adulteration scandals of the era and the culture of imitation that enabled them—suggesting dishonesty had become normalized across all social levels.
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i a eg Aeris and a Neuinity Mens Of Ame CHICAGO NEW YORK ~ DETROIT 6 FOR, pf MEN ‘ GARS “MADE. AT KEY WEST ATENTS ‘tee rtitnen rent OF ce Records. How to entions wanted A World of Imitations Henry Wickwire made his morning toilet with a cake of adulterated soap, a near-linen towel and a hairbrush hav- ing imitation bristles. The comb looked like tortoise-shell, but it wasn’ His trousers were made of imitation wool. His waistcoat had a white edging sewed underneath the V. His coat was fearfully padded at the shoulders and had a make-believe set of buttons and buttonholes on each cuff. His shoes were seconds, but they had been given a finish like that of the most expensive custom shoes, His shoelaces were imitation silk and so were his socks. In his waistcoat pocket he carried a rolled gold watch, He fastened his necktie with an imitation pearl pin. y Wickwire went to breakfast. t in a birchwood chair that had tained to imitate mahogany, This on mahogany chair had an imita- tion leather seat. On the floor was an imitation Turkish rug. An_ imitation French clock ticked on the mantelpiece. The mantelpiece was made of imitation marble. Henry Wickwire had a cup of coffe This coffee was largely an imitation, He had two fresh eggs, soft boiled. These fresh eggs had been reposing lime water for over six months. He also had two slices of home-made bread which had been supplied by a baker, The bread was full of alum and the loaf had been short weight. The butter was country butter and had been made in Jersey City. Its beautiful color was artificial, Its flavor was the result of a combination of chemicals. Henry Wickwire went to work. His gloves were imitation buckskin. His all-wool overco: 80 per cent. cotton, His all-Havana cigarette had been grown in Kentucky. He reached his office © a quarter past 9. He had been duc at 9 o'clock and had thus short-changed his boss a quarter of an hour. He put on an imi- tation black silk coat and opened his desk. Henry Wickwire was a claim clerk. Customers often claim that their ship- ments are short or that some other mis- take had been made against them. Henry took up the first claim and glanced it over. “ Fake,” he muttered. He glanced at the second cl. “ Another fake.” He read them all, and, as the first step toward an adjustment, he consulted the ledger clerk 10 find out whether the claimants were liberal buyers. noon Henry Wickwire went to his way to a buffet parlor. were lined with imitation Makes the best cocktail. A pleasing aromatic with all Wine, spiritand soda beverages. Appetising. health~ tat, to use with Grape Fruit, Oranges, Wine Jelly, At Wine Merchants or Druegists, Sample by mall, 28 in stamps. C. W. ARROTT & CO., Raltimore, Md. ARMS AND THE MAN Printed in color. Mounted, 11x 14ia. Copyright, Life Publishing Company Printed in color. jounted, 14x17 Copyright, Life Publishing Company ILLUSION Printed in color Mounted, t4 x 17 in. Any one of these handsome re-prints sent tpaid_ upon receipt of the price, $1.00 cack. rinted in full colors, beautifully mounted. LIFE, PUBLISHING CO. 17 W. 3ist Street, N.Y. or mor pense Const statior bookle in you Price « W. E. fre comicbookeom