Life, 1919-05-29 · page 26 of 42
Life — May 29, 1919 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top cartoon satirizes real estate speculation in Manhattan. It depicts a Dutch farmer with a plow and spade, shown as a simple, rural figure contrasted with the modern urban development behind him. The caption jokes that if the original Dutch landowner—who sold this valuable Times Square property generations ago—could see what it became, he'd be astonished at the fortune he missed. This references the historical Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam (later New York) and the transformation of farmland into one of America's most expensive commercial districts. The satire mocks both: the farmer's historical naiveté in undervaluing the land, and implicitly, modern real estate wealth and development. The page also documents fundraising for French war orphans during WWI, showing Life's charitable advocacy alongside its humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THOSE ACRES AT BROADWAY AND FORTY.SECOND STREET IF THE DUTCH FARMER WHO SOLD THEM HAD ONLY KNOWN ! The French Babies vartee DNS IFE has received for the relief of the French war orphans, fas Giega aris in all, $337 97. 1 which we have remitted to Etonse: Log 68 franes. tefully acknowledge from Ne we work City 2 Milling Cox Jamestown. joodwin, N. J.. $35 Fi Sigurdson, byterian € School N . Yonkers, N. ¥., $165 . Boy Scouts in, Shaw, Miss. Mary McCamant, El I 7 Blue. Tzetta Sh and Florence Sweetwood. E $3; “In memory Hazel Jane Rupert.” Petham, } +3 A Friend.” Lyons N.Y. ; The Wome: f sbi tS. BABY NUMBER 3608 Already acknowledged ... Anonymous ... UPSTARTS