Life, 1919-11-06 · page 11 of 36
Life — November 6, 1919 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes spiritualism, a popular late 19th/early 20th-century belief in communicating with the dead through mediums. The cartoon mocks famous spiritualist practitioners and their clients: - **Mrs. I.C. Ghoste** (pun on "ghost") works as a medium on Shakespeare plays - **Mr. Shellrim Glass** completes spiritualist "efforts" - **Mr. Penin Inke**, an "artist-mystic," channels artwork - **Mr. Roger Bullwell** invents a spirit typewriter for automatic writing - **Miss Chrystal Gazer** receives spiritualist messages via crystal ball The satire ridicules both the mediums claiming supernatural powers and wealthy believers seeking contact with spirits. The exaggerated names and absurd scenarios emphasize how Life's editors viewed spiritualism as fraudulent entertainment exploiting gullible clients.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘LIFE: Genius in the Spirit World Cee MR. SHELLRIM GLASS COMPLETING DICK ENS’ LATEST SPIRIT EFFORT, “A TALE OF THREE CITIES” MRS, L. C, GHOSTE, SOLE AGENT FOR WM. SHAKESPEARE, AT WORK ON HIS LATEST PLAY, “MUCH ADO ABOUT SOMETHING” MR. PENIN INKE, THE FAMOUS ARTIST-MYSTIC, WHOSE CON- TROL IS LEONARDO DA VINCI WORKING ON HIS LATEST PK TURE, “THE MOANING LIzzin” MISS CHRYSTAL GAZER, WHO = IS UNDER SPIRIT CONTROL OF MR. ROGER BULLWELL, WITH HIS THACKERAY, RECEIVING HIS LATEST NEW INVENTION, THE SPIRIT WORK, “THE MISSOURIANS” TYPEWRITER, DASHING OFF A TENNYSON POEM - comicbooks.com