Life, 1912-04-18 · page 21 of 54
Life — April 18, 1912 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1910s *Life* page satirizes the commercialization of religion. The main cartoon "If the Mayflower Came To-Day" depicts the Mayflower arriving in a modern industrial harbor, juxtaposing Puritan pilgrimage with capitalist mass production. The accompanying text mocks a fictional "England Amalgamated Religion Generator Company" that manufactures and test-markets religions like consumer products, calculating profit margins on "emotional compensation." The satire targets how American entrepreneurs were treating spirituality as a franchise business—starting religions cheaply, collecting donations ("pass the hat"), and scaling successful ones nationwide without genuine conviction. The secondary "Pocahontas" joke plays on materialism in marriage, suggesting even historical romance has been reduced to financial transaction. The overall message: American business culture has corrupted authentic religious experience into manufactured, profit-driven enterprise.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
omplishing the good that they t to, nder our system all this is changed. our scientific formule we allow so much for reverence, sa much for ac- tual time spent in practice, so much for what we term’ emotional compen- sation and so much for various other things. Thus we cover the whole field —and do it right. Our headquarters are located in om, where we are constantly try- out new religions before placing n around the cotithry. If a re- n which we introdirce in Boston ns there for six weeks we can safely rantee its success anywhere else. s inside of a month and begins lose interest, then we put it back no our plant and our experts re- jjust it until another trial can be arranged for it. IF THE MAYFLOWER CAME TO-DAY We also need abil- Remem- We need capita ity and business experience. ber that you get practically all of the dividends; all we ask in case of a suc- cess is a fair royalty. You can start your religion anywhere. In your own home town—or, if you feel ashamed jt out there—you can go else- We cater to every shade of human aspiration. The beauty of our system is that the money comes in without effort. All you have to do is to start your religion and the dividends begin to pour in immediately. Nothing like this can be said of any other industry. Practically speaking, we employ no collectors who work upon their initi- ative, and are therefore subject to commissions. These collectors are necessary in every other line of busi- ness but ours. In our case all you have to do is to pass the hat. Will you give us a trial? Come into our office and look over our plant and sce what we are doing for the regeneration of the world. England Amalgamated Religion Generator Company. POCAHONTAS was being wooed by John Smith. “Unless you can settle a_ million upon me,” said Pocahontas stern! will not consent to the engagement.” Thereupon the Smiths came and set- tled and Love has reigned supreme ever since CAST your money upon your daugh- ters and it may be returned to you in the form of a rich son-in-law. comicbooks.com »