Life, 1916-07-06 · page 11 of 42
Life — July 6, 1916 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page depicts a summer picnic or garden party scene with well-dressed Victorian-era figures, captioned "Mrs. B.: I just adore this. It's so frightfully bohemian." The satire appears to target upper-class pretension—specifically the affectation of wealthy urbanites who romanticize "bohemian" (unconventional, artistic) lifestyles while maintaining rigid formality. The irony: the scene shows formally dressed people in top hats at what they call a bohemian gathering, suggesting their idea of being unconventional is superficial performance. The accompanying text discusses children from city missions and charitable work, indicating the page may satirize how the wealthy frame charitable activities as fashionable social events rather than serious moral commitments. The humor lies in the disconnect between claimed bohemian values and actual bourgeois conformity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Wu el —" ay7% The children come from city mis- sions, the East Side, and various settle- ments and poorer districts of New York and Brooklyn, and the improve- ment they show as the result of abun- dant food and good country air is sur- prising. Some of them come year after year until the age limit—twelve years— is reached. No needy child is refused if he can possibly be taken. Caretakers are always with the chil- dren, and in all the years we have never had serious accident or illness at the Farm, Donations of partly worn clothing zy tie & (GF 7 th We iY, 4 7 SS 7 4 I JUST ADORE THIS, IT’S SO FRIGHTFULLY BOHEMIAN for children of twelve years and under can be used to great advantage among our guests, The matron will be very glad to get them, as the wardrobes of many of our arriving guests are indeed scanty. Rompers—new or old—are especially useful. ° Visitors are welcome at the Farm, Remittances may be made payable to Lire’s Fresh Air Fund, and will be acknowledged in Lire about three weeks later, and by letter direct if ad- dress be given. The more money you give, the more children we send. How Bad Are We In? The present administration has de- stroyed our influence abroad and hu- miliated us in our own eyes. —Republican platform, HERE are still a lot of obstinate Democrats in the country who do not confess to humiliation. As for our influence abroad, it will be in order to hear testimony. T takes all kinds to make this world, and it is going to take all kinds to run it, comicbooks.com