Life, 1919-05-08 · page 44 of 46
Life — May 8, 1919 — page 44: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising**, not satirical content. However, the cartoon at bottom-right provides the only editorial material: it depicts a **bookkeeper expressing despair** at his desk job, yearning to return to front-line combat ("that shell-hole in no man's land"). The joke captures a **post-WWI sentiment**: paradoxically, some veterans found civilian clerical work so tedious and soul-crushing that they romanticized the literal danger of trench warfare. It's dark humor about workplace monotony versus military service. The advertisements themselves (Arrow collars, Martin shoes, Pall Mall cigarettes) target affluent men—the magazine's primary readership—with appeals to status and quality. The Arrow collar ad's portrait suggests brand trustworthiness through an authoritative male figure, typical early-20th-century marketing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
| tee ind ls STARCHED OR SOFT “ARROW IS A DEPENDABLE INDICATOR OF A SMART, SATISFACTORY - COLLAR- CLUETT: PEABODY & CO.:INC :Troy NY. PALL MALL ). Cfamous ( igarelles At your Club Plain Ends 7 ~ eee . ° . Martin £3 Martin Shoes are the first choice of fashionable men and wo- men throughout America. The are the on/ shoes of genuine custom quality offered ready fir wear. ‘They are made by hand, by custom workmen, over custom lasts. “They are the dest | shoes that can be made. Because they are so good, they are the most economical shoes to wear. ‘They cost more per paz than some other shoes, but less per year than any others. You are invited to test these claims entirely without risk. Your complete satisfaction is guaranteed, Martin &? Martin Shoes Are Priced at TEN t¢@ TWENTY DOLLARS (Those who cannot visit the stores buy satisfac. torily by mail. Our fitting charts, simple, accu- rate, and easily used, will be sent upon request.) Martin €3 Martin Fine Shoes and Hosiery for Men and Women New York: 583 Fifth Avenue & 1 East ‘Thirty fifth Street. Chicago: 326 Michigan Avenue Bookkeeper: Gre! “1 Wistt t WAS BACK IN THAT SHELU-HOLE IN NO MAN'S LAND AGAIN! comicbooks.com