Life, 1913-11-27 · page 8 of 40
Life — November 27, 1913 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains two distinct satirical pieces: **"Sanctum Talks"** (top): A dialogue between "Life" (personified) and "Sir Oliver Lodge" (a real spiritualist/physicist) about afterlife and immortality. Lodge was a prominent figure in early 20th-century spiritualism who publicly advocated for communicating with the dead. The satire mocks his claims by having "Life" challenge his assumptions about personal experience and immortality—essentially questioning the validity of spiritualist beliefs through witty debate. **"Visitors' Day (On a Submarine)"** and **"How It Feels to Be a Baby"** (bottom): These are humorous illustrations with brief comedic captions, typical of *Life*'s satirical humor. The final joke about "Briggs" and sense of loss following surgery makes a dark joke about unexpected medical bills.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
908 Sanctum Talks “(XOOD MORNING, Lire.” “Hello, Sir Oliver Lodge. How is it to live after death?” “Why, my dear Lire, I haven't tried. How do I know?” “Oh, I thought you said you did.” “T wasn't speaking of my own per- sonal experience. I merely said that we were immortal and that it was quite possible that people, after they died, would be able to preserve their individualities; in fact——" “Oh, this was a supposition on your part?” “Yes, Lire, based on experience, and——” “Hold on a minute, Sir Oliver, you are getting ahead of me. I thought you had no experience.” “I mean, Lire, based upon my own human experience.” “Oh, yes. Now I see. You mean that what has happened to you during the time that you have been on earth leads you to believe that you will live after you are dead.” “Certainly. Why not? How do you feel about it, Lire?” “Well, you see, Sir Oliver, I hadn’t felt about it at all, because I have no time. I am too busy interviewing people.” “But, Lire, don’t you believe that you are immortal?” “Certainly, but then I have the ad- vantage over you, Sir Oliver.” “How's that?” “Well, you see, I have never had HOW IT FEELS TO BE A BABY “visttors’ pay” (on a submarine) any corporeal existence on earth, and yet I am real. Now, you have had a corporeal existence on earth and you are—" “Well, Lire, go on.” “At times, Sir Oliver, a trifle unreal. This is about the only difference between us.” “Oh, I see. Well, good morning, Lire.” “Don't mention it.” RIGGS: Did you experience a sense of loss after you had been operated upon? Griccs: I did when I got the bill.