Life, 1912-08-15 · page 28 of 40
Life — August 15, 1912 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a *Life* magazine contest page from 1908, not a political cartoon. The illustration shows a group of people gathered around an automobile, staring at an illegible sign board mounted on it. The contest challenges readers to guess what the sign says in fifteen words or fewer, with a $100 prize—substantial money at the time. The joke appears to be about early automobile advertising or signage being unreadable or mysterious to the public. The vague nature of the sign invites reader participation and engagement. This was a common *Life* feature: humorous illustrations paired with reader contests designed to boost circulation and audience interaction.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
What’s on the Sign-Board? One Hundred Dollars for the Best Answer Conditions The solution, in whatever form submitted, must not exceed fifteen words. The paper upon which it is sent should contain nothing else except 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 Street, New York. Envelopes addressed in any other way will not be considered. Preference will be given to a title not submitted by several contestants, but in case more than one person submits the winning title the prize will be divided. All manuscripts submitted must be at Lire office not later than Thursday, August 29. The contest will close at noon of that date. Within one week from August 29 a check for $100 will be sent to the winner. Announcement of winner will be made in Lire’s issue of September 12. It is not necessary to be a subscriber to Lire in order to compete. The contest is open to every one. Only one answer from each contestant will be con- sidered. No manuscript will be returned. The editors of Lire will be the judges, their de- cision to be final. They will award the prize to the title which, in their judgment, is the most deserving. comicboolnn cs a