Life, 1915-05-06 · page 4 of 56
Life — May 6, 1915 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **subscription advertisement** for *Life* magazine, not a political cartoon. The illustration shows a silhouetted figure standing beside a gnarled, nearly-dead tree in a barren landscape—a visual metaphor for optimism confronting harsh reality. The text announces the "Optimists' Number of LIFE" coming May 25th, celebrating "new prosperity." The advertisement plays on contemporary optimism (likely post-WWI or during an economic boom period) by ironically juxtaposing the cheerful announcement against the bleak imagery of the dead tree and desolate terrain. The satire suggests skepticism about claims of prosperity—the cartoon implies that optimism may be misplaced given actual conditions. The price listed is 10 cents, with annual subscription at $5.00.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Are You an Optimist ? The simple announcement, made several weeks ago, that the Optimists’ Number of Lire was coming, was enough to wake up the American people to their possibili- ties. Almost immediately after this announce- ment seats on the Stoc change rose in mills opened, railroads began to smile, and the great boom was launched. The Optimists’ Number of Lirr— out on May 23th—will celebrate the new prosperity. It will reek with joy. = Ten cents, as usual. Open only to new subscribers; no sul: scription renewed at this rate 5 LIFE, 17 West 31st Street, New York 9 One Year, $5.00. (Canadian, $5.52; Foreign, $6.04.