Life, 1912-01-11 · page 18 of 40
Life — January 11, 1912 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a titling contest from *Life* magazine. The untitled illustration shows a elegantly dressed woman in a desert landscape with sparse vegetation and a small dog or coyote. The barren, arid setting contrasts sharply with her refined appearance and flowing gown. *Life* is soliciting reader submissions for the wittiest title to accompany this image, offering $100 as the prize—a substantial sum for the era. The contest deadline is January 20, with the winner announced February 1. The satire likely plays on the incongruity: a fashionable woman inexplicably positioned in an inhospitable wasteland. Readers would submit clever titles exploiting this visual absurdity—perhaps commenting on romantic disappointment, isolation, or the foolishness of following fashion into unsuitable circumstances. This was a common *Life* feature: combining cryptic imagery with reader participation to generate both content and engagement.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
picture has no title. For the Best Title to This Picture, Life Will Give One Hundred Dollars Conditions of the Contest The title, with sub-title, or in whatever form sub- mitted, must not exceed fifteen words. The paper upon which the title is sent should contain nothing but the title, with the name and address of the author in the upper left hand corner. If this rule is violated the judges reserve the right to debar the contribution. Manuscripts should be addressed to The Contest Editor of Lire, 17 West 31st St., New York, N.Y. Envelopes addressed in any other way will not be considered. All titles submitted must be at Lire office not later than Saturday, January 20. The contest will close at noon of that date. Within one week from January 20 a check for $100 will be sent to the winner. Announcement of winner will be made in Lire’s issue of February 1. It is not necessary to be a subscriber to Lire in order to compete. The contest is open to every one. Only one title from each contestant will be con- sidered. No manuscript will be returned. The editors of Lire will be the judges. They will award the prize to the title which, in their judgment, is the most deserving.