Life, 1920-01-15 · page 23 of 36
Life — January 15, 1920 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Cartoon**: A man advertises for a stenographer while a woman (labeled "Private") sits nearby. The joke: he'll hire her, then she won't get the job—satirizing gender discrimination in hiring. **"It Is to Laugh"** column mocks Sir Oliver Lodge's prediction that atomic energy will replace coal in fifty years. The satire: such grandiose futuristic claims are absurd. Instead of coal strikes ending, there'll be a "Pea-Atom Union." The piece cynically suggests only humor keeps humanity from self-destruction. **Bottom snippet**: Dark political humor about an ex-Crown Prince (likely German royalty post-WWI) being tried for robbery, looting, and murder. The joke: if he'd fled to New York instead, he'd be "safe"—suggesting New York provides refuge from justice, or that wealthy/powerful criminals escape prosecution there. **Bottom cartoon**: Three working-class men dressed in increasingly minimal clothing, captioned "What the Men Will Wear (If Prices Keep Soaring)"—economic satire about inflation forcing people into poverty and rags.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
os MR, LOVEJOY HAS ADVERTISED FOR A STENOGKAPHER It Is to Laugh Sik OLIVER LODGE tells us that in fifty years or so no one will use coal, as we will get our heat from We will keep our combustible atoms in the safe instead of the coal bin, A teaspoonful of atoms will keep you warm for a whole winter. Coal strikes will be a thing of the past; but instead we may have to deal with the Pea-Atom Union. the coal chute and the coal scuttle will go the way of dodo, Light, heat and power will be served a la It is the age of extravagant claims; and nothing startles iny longer. In fact, personally, we are only interested iv those whe will keep us laughing at humanity \irplanes and atoms and millenniums are all right; but Laughter is the only helmsman that will keep this crazy old ship of a world from going plumb to hell-and-back Rather fifty years of Momus than a cycle of old Doc “| SEE the Ex-Crown Prince is going to be tried for rob- hing and looting and murder.” : If he had fled to New York in the first place, why, uow he'd be safe.” GUESS WHICH ONE'S GOING TO GET THE Jor I is the nature of some people on approaching a River of Delight, to hegin immediately to throw across it a Bridge of Sighs WHAT THE MEN WILL WEAK (IP PRICES KEEP SOAKING) comicbooks.com