Life, 1912-09-26 · page 4 of 48
Life — September 26, 1912 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising content** for *Life* magazine subscriptions, presented as a satirical pitch. The illustration shows a tall, thin figure in a top hat and overcoat—a classic representation of a theatrical character or "dandy" type common in satirical art of the era. **"An Awful Temptation"** (lower left) presents a mock philosophical dilemma: whether *Life* should publish a special "Awful Number" featuring dramatic content. The devil-faced character represents temptation itself, playing on the irony that even *Life's* satirical editors struggle with editorial decisions. The main pitch uses Shakespearean language ("All the world's a stage...") to encourage subscriptions, framing readership as participating in life's grand theatrical drama. It's essentially a clever, self-aware advertisement using satire about satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Dramatic af Number Next Week All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances and each one in his time plays many parts, the principal one of which is to become a regular subscriber to LIFE. In case you don’t care to risk a year’s subscrip- tion, try one for three months. (See attached Coupon.) Special Offer bi Enclosed find One Bet ofr Dollar (Canadian i $1.13, Foreign $1.26). side An Awful Temptation Send LIFE for three clet months to. his Shall we issue an Awful hos: Number of LIFE or not? i tem That is the question. =ND FOR A FREE COPY : { Whether it is better to go N J on week after week and be deadly dull, or to take arms against a sea of critics and AND A TWO- do the awful thing ? CENT STAMP. Open only to new subscribers; no subscription renewed at this rate. This order must come to us Special Premium Picture given with direct; not through an agent or dealer. cach yearly subscription. LIFE, 17 West 31, N.Y. City ONE YEAR $5.00. (CANADIAN $5.52, FOREIGN $6.04.) comicbooher a