Life, 1918-04-04 · page 12 of 40
Life — April 4, 1918 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **contest announcement** rather than satirical content. Life magazine is soliciting reader submissions for humorous titles describing the main photograph—an early airplane with people aboard and others on the ground below. The contest offers $800 in prizes ($500 first place), with **bonus payments specifically for military personnel** ("Soldiers and Sailors"). This reflects the **World War I era context** (the contest closes May 6, 1918), when the magazine was actively encouraging patriotic participation from uniformed service members. The small cartoon at bottom left ("The Skeleton in His Closet") appears unrelated—a separate joke about someone hiding something in a wardrobe. The page serves primarily as a **marketing/engagement tool** rather than political satire, though the military emphasis suggests the war effort's cultural prominence at that moment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
548 Life’s Title Contest For the best titles to the picture on this page Lire will award prizes as follows: First Prize, . . Second Prize, . $200.00 Third Prize,. . $100.00 With Special Prizes for Soldiers and Satlors The contest will be governed by the following $500.00 CONDITIONS Contestants are advised to ditions carefully, and to coniorm to exactly. Lire cannot undertake to enter i correspondence or to reply to inquiries. ad these con: By “best” is understood those titles which most cleverly and briefly de scribe the situation shown in the pic- ture. No title submitted shall c¢ more than twenty-five words. Hyphen- ated words will be counted as one. Contestants may send in more than one answer, but each one must be on a separate sheet, with name and address plainly written. The contest is open to everybody. In case a prize is won by a Soldier or ilor $100.00 extra will be added to the first prize, $50.00 extra to the sec- ond and $. Xtra to the third. By the term Soldier and Sailor is meant anyone, no matter what the rank, in the uniformed forces of the United States nsist of His CLOSET” “THE SKELETON IN For the Best Titles to this Picture $800 will be given in Prizes See conditions on this page government. In case of any dispute as to the status of a winning contestant under these terms the Editors of Lire will be the sole judges. But a liberal interpretation will be placed on the conditions. The contest is now open. It will close at noon on May 6, 1918, no manu- scripts received after that time being considered. All manuscripts should be addressed to the Contest Editor of Lirr, 17 West Thirty-first Street, New York. En- velopes addressed in any other way will not be considered. Envelopes must contain nothing but the competing title and the name and address of the send- er, plainly written, all on the same sheet. If you have anything else to say to Lire, send it in a separate letter The Editors will not be responsible for the loss of manuscripts, Conte are advised to keep duplicate copies. No manuscripts will be returned. Titles may be original or ma a quotation some well-known author, but in this case the source must be accurately It is not necessary to be a subscriber from to Lirr to be a contestant. In case of ties the full amount of the prize will be given to each tying con- inal award be announced as carly as possible after the close of the comtest. Of this due notice wi en. Checks will be sent simultane- Mouncements of the be ously with the a award. The carlier you send your title the better. In previous contests many ar- rived too late.