Life, 1915-04-15 · page 28 of 44
Life — April 15, 1915 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **caption contest** from Life magazine, drawn by the famous illustrator Charles Dana Gibson. The sketch depicts a well-dressed man and woman examining illustrated magazines or publications together at a table. The contest asks readers to supply dialogue—what has "just been said" between these two figures—in 20 words or fewer. The image itself contains no obvious political satire or caricature of identifiable public figures. Instead, it's a genteel domestic scene typical of Gibson's "Gibson Girl" era illustrations, showing middle-class leisure activities. The humor likely plays on the ambiguity of their interaction: are they sharing innocent aesthetic appreciation, or is there flirtation, disagreement, or social commentary implied in their body language and expressions? The substantial prize money ($870 total) indicates Life's confidence in reader engagement with this participatory format.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
(This picture hos no title) Drawn by Charles Dana Gibson. What Has Just Been Said? For the best answer to the picture above Life will give $500 $200 First Prize Second Prize Third Prize Fourth to Tenth (inclusive) $10 each $100 Total, $870 Conditions of the Contest The answer, in whatever form submitted, must not exceed twenty words, and may be either original or a quotation. The paper upon which the answer is sent should contain nothing but the ansiver, with 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 con- sidered. All answers submitted must be at Lire office not later than Saturday, April 24. The contest will close at noon of that date. Within one week from April 24 checks will be sent to the winners, Announcement of winners will be made in Lire’s issue of May 13. It is not necessary to be a subscriber to Lire in order to compete. The contest is open free to every one. Only one answer from each contestant will be considered. No manuscripts will be returned. The editors of Lire will be the judges. They will award the prizes to the answers which, in their judgment, are the most deserving.