Life, 1919-01-09 · page 34 of 34
Life — January 9, 1919 — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a short story mocking an African American domestic worker named Esther employed by the Howard family. The "joke" centers on Esther appearing disheveled one morning. When Mrs. Howard asks what happened, Esther explains her husband beat her ("It was jes' mah husban'"). Mrs. Howard responds by suggesting Esther should have had him arrested, to which Esther replies she lacks money to pay his fine. The "humor" relies on crude racial stereotyping—dialect, poverty, domestic violence, and the implication that this situation is comedic rather than serious. This reflects early 20th-century Life magazine's casual use of racist caricature and violent domestic abuse as entertainment for white readers. The story's cruelty toward both women and Black Americans would be immediately recognized as deeply offensive today, though it apparently passed as acceptable satire in this era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Embarrassed Esth P agin, | ee was the colored 1 7 an’ jes’ fo’ nothin’, too: in Howard family, and one morning, on ge to the basen fe habit Mrs. Howard noticed that Esthe ing you? Why don’t you have the appearance of a : rested? “Why, Esther,” exclaime “Tse be Howard, “what in the world has hap- times, M pened to you? I hain't neb It was jes’ mah husban’,” explained time to pay Ge BILTMORE | pacers 43rd and 44th Streets and Madison Avenue The center of social life at TEA TIME \ Or | | ) Ideally convenient for suburban dwellers suggests: Extract from a Letter to the Editor that before you spend a penny on your new clothes, before you “TL said to my stant, after [had even plan your Spring wardrobe, you consult its series of looked over the Christmas number oi great Spring and Summer Fashion Numbers, one of the most Lire, * Doesn't this seem ou ap important of which is larly good number of | ; He sai “1 don't know. V woul no THE SOUTHERN NUMBER a bad number hefore (READY Now) notice it!” | In the next few _months, during the very period in which Vogue's special Fashion Numbers appear, you will be select- “LiKE Weal SoUlA TG a | ing your entire wardrobe for the coming season, and paying out hundreds of dollars for the suits, hats, gowns, and acces- sories that you select. Ask any reader of Vogue, and she will tell you that lion pounds?” “ Nothing."—Tit-Bits ce , . . MIERE'S a divinity that shapes $2 Invested in Vogue ends rough, i Hees ihnva NGeRGe auIN Will Save You $200 and this is particularly true of those The gown you buy and never wear is the really expensive gown. Gloves, boots, hats, that miss being exactly what you ersons who have misguidedly believed p want are the ones that cost more than you can afford. , Yofuspow. moahkesasper that their divinities would send thes Lipaies a: Christmas: present, and have Consider, then, that by the simple act of mailing the coupon glal offer NINE: tsswes below, and at your convenience forwarding $2 (a tiny frac- tion price $3)- : tion of your loss ona single ill-chosen hat or gown), not only wren subscriptions may you have before you, at this important season, Vogue's great special Fashion Numbers, but all through the next two seasons the numbers that follow them. the Southern Nets subscripe therefore neglected to send in their If you mail the Here are the 9 numbers % (Ten if you act promptly) you will receive for $2 *Southera Number (extra complimentary copy) gan. 15, Where to go, Thousa els will be sh " mail th ; Smart Fashions for Spring Millinery ed Incomes Spring Patterns and New Materials Mar. 1 eapnnmiereie be ner Homes and Hostess Number Marts ery thir = FE 4 " ting. Ve Fe Qre Hot water || MNES Sure Relief e oad tire elo te ; ss Sess FOR INDIGESTION 2 Ben WIT a VEKGS