Life, 1913-03-06 · page 42 of 72
Life — March 6, 1913 — page 42: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece proposes Jacques Seligman's "Museum of Fakes" concept—a New York museum displaying forged paintings—and expands it absurdly to expose widespread fakery across American society. The author sarcastically suggests the museum should include: - Books about "sex problems" marketed as moral education (actually exploitative) - William R. Hearst (depicted as a yellow statue—likely referencing his sensationalist journalism) - Suffragettes (portrayed skeptically, suggesting their activism was performative) - Philosophy professors and charity institutions (implying pretense and fraud) The cartoons illustrate the humiliation of social pretense: one shows someone awkwardly presenting an introduction letter; another depicts a dachshund stretched impossibly long by conflicting phonograph commands—a visual pun on fakery and contradiction. The satire mocks early-20th-century American institutions for hypocrisy, suggesting that distinguishing genuine from false requires decades of experience most people never gain. The piece reflects Life magazine's role as social critic, targeting prominent figures and institutions of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Make It Universal M® JACQUES SELIGMAN has recently announced that a “Museum of Fakes” y will be started in New York. In this museum all the forgeries in pictures that have deluded innocent Americans will be placed in a special building, where they can be viewed by the public as a warning. Despite the protest which has come from art dealers, we regard this project as being a val- uable one; but why should Mr. Seligman con- fine himself to art? Why not have a museum devoted to fakes of all kinds? The possible objection to this is that it might take up too much room. Space being valuable, this of course should be duly considered. On the other hand, the difficulty might be obviated by labelling the fakes, wherever they happen to be. When, for example, a book is published which deals with the sex problem, and the writer declares that it is written for a highly moral purpose, when his real object is to excite morbid public curiosity, and thus sell his book, it could be officially stamped by the bureau, “ This is adjudged a fake.” Compared with the Museum of Fakes, our Hall of Fame would have to take a back seat. In the front of Mr. Seligman’s building there would, quite naturally and spon- tancously, be a yellow statue of William R. Hearst. Glass cases might hold some of our leading suffragettes. A whole room could be devoted to our prominent philoso- phers and college professors. Psychology would have a section by itself, and Charity, as practised by so many in- stitutions, would take up an ell. It takes an ordinary human being about forty years of his life to get the wisdom and experience which will en- able him to tell a fake when he sees it. Indeed, some of ILLUSTRATED NAUTICAL TERM “A SOU’ EASTER” rey Ww hit | i} m \y \| | we sa lleaty THE WAY ONE FEELS WHEN PRESENTING A LETTER OF INTRODUCTION us never learn. Think of the time saved if all the fakes could be officially labelled! And when we had become properly educated up to it, what an interesting place it would be to visit on Sundays and holidays. For example, after we have lost some of the most interesting members of our families by operations, how refreshing to our lonesomeness to pass our afternoons in the Medical Gallery of Mr. Seligman’s beneficent institu- tion. FPURSON: Your dachshund is remarkably long, even for one of his breed. Date: There is good reason for his being remarkably long. Every day, for an hour, a phonograph, grinding out, in “his master’s voice,” “Come here, Fido!” is placed behind him. I stand in front of him, using the same words, and the intelligent dog struggles valiantly to obey both commands. comicbooks.com | HI ih |