Life, 1917-01-04 · page 13 of 38
Life — January 4, 1917 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main illustration depicts "Great Americans" featuring E. B. Orville Bizzy, who "frequently changes his entire costume six or seven times a day." The cartoon satirizes a fashionable gentleman obsessed with clothing changes—a joke about vanity and social pretension common to Gilded Age satire. The text sections include "Look Out of Your Window!" (encouraging appreciation of nature), "Charm" (discussing character and magnetism), "Learning to Talk Imperially" (an unclear political reference, possibly about imperial rhetoric), and "In the Near Future" (a brief comedic dialogue about losing a pedestrian's license). The overall page mixes social commentary on fashion, manners, and character with light humor typical of Life magazine's satirical approach.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
GREAT AMERICANS B. ORVILLE BIZZY, WHO FREQUENTLY CHANGES HIS ENTIRE COSTUME SIX OR SEVEN TIMES A DAY Look Out of Your Window! Hes so common, and windows are so How rare it is for any- one to realize how important it is to stand up and look out of a window. Have you, for example, ever looked in your house? are so common, people are common! out of every window If not, try it, and see what a new idea f the universe. you will get of Just looking out of one window is a wonderful thing to do. We do it sometimes when there is a big storm raging, and what a sensation we get! Clouds burst, the rain washes down in torrents; we think maybe the world is coming to an end. Out of the win- dow, even in placid weather, there is always a great sight. We have a re- served seat to the greatest show now going on. About everything is happen- 13 ing out there that there is! Streams of universal knowledge flow in upon us through that window, All our senses become revitalized. Out of every window there is almost always a tree in sight somewhere, even in the city. Take note of that tree, with its roots deep in the soil and its branches spreading out into the air. That tree will connect you up with Mother Earth. Then there is always the sky, leading you into unknown depths of thought and feeling; and there are always peo- ple passing—world comrades! It is the greatest moving-picture show in the world. Charm (With an Ilustration) HARM, says Madame Bernhardt, lies in consideration for Thereby one and acquires the involuntary habit of making others happy. Yes; that's so. For example, the Colonel; one of the most charming of men and ordinarily one of the most considerate. But Madame Sarah goes on to say that the thought of self destroys mag- netism and is the grave in which charm is buried. others, loses self-consciousness True, no doubt, and returning to the Colonel it must be admitted that he is less charming and less magnetic when, owing to the exigencies of polities, he is obliged now and then to think of himself. But his charm does not stay dug in, It always emerges after election. Learning to Talk Imperiaily With and your loyal allies’ endurance, we have created our final victory is no longer doudt- ful. God's gracious assistance situation in which O; that is not William. It's the Austrian cub-Kaiser trying to talk like Cousin Bill! In the Near Future ‘OU take great care not to be run over.” “Got to. I’m afraid I'll forfeit my pedestrian’s license.”