Life, 1920-07-29 · page 14 of 36
Life — July 29, 1920 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains mixed content: a literary poem ("More Ethnology" by Henry William Hanemann) satirizing ethnic stereotypes through exaggerated food preferences, and period advertisements. The main cartoon depicts two men at a clothing exchange window, illustrating the advertisement "Wear Your Old Clothes." The satire targets economic waste—a man unable to afford new garments must reuse old ones. The caption's phrase "psychic experts got busy" suggests mockery of contemporaneous self-help movements. The Italian Renaissance villa advertisement is humorous real estate marketing, offering fantastical property transformations. Overall, the page reflects early 20th-century American satirical humor combining ethnic comedy, economic themes about consumption and class, and mockery of emerging consumer culture and pseudo-scientific trends.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Advertisement! © you live in an Italian Renaissance If so, what are you going to Phousands of people who live in Italian Renaissance villas die annually in Italian Renaissance villas. Why be one of them? Let me fix you up with a Greek temple, a thic castle or an old Colonial manse. It’s the easiest thing in the world, once you know how. Simply move the family and the family servants and the servants’ servants out and give me a chance. You have no idea what you can do with your Italian Renaissance villa until you try How about a Byzantine bungalow, a Mission residence, a Tudor chateau, a German schloss, a Moorish hunting lodge, an Alaskan igloo, a Swiss chalet? Ih them all intimately. I have got their num- bers. Just say the word and the one you want is yours. My catalogue explains al! It is hand- somely illustrated in three colors. Send for it to-day. Select the kind of house you want ard wire me the serial number. Then beat it with your family, and stay away for a month or two. My men will do the rest. You won't know the old home when you get back 1 guarantee to take any town house, country house, suburban dwelling or rural birthplace and turn it into something you never laid eyes on before. No plans, no specifications, no extras, And_ positively no architect's fees. I am not an architect, and I'm proud of it I. Puintu, Exterior Desecrator, Room 4590, Comeon Building, Chicago, Ill. “HOW ABOUT THIS ONE? STERLING SILVER; A VERY HANDSOME DINNER PAIL; Ses AND ONLY FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTY DOLLARS.” ERY FAT WIF Kiss me, dear. “NACACACAM! NACALL! 'S'NOCK COOD ENOUGH! WAN’ SOMETING Cos’ MoRE!” Very Lean Huspano: I will when I get around to it. More Ethnology OULD I have enough of food, I should love to be a Zhmud, Or a Chuvash, or a Tajik, or a Lapp; I would merrily steal kisses From the gentle Cheremisses, And for Sarts and Uzbegs wouldn't give a Baskirs, Tunguses and Finns Wouldn't bother me two pins, Nor Permiaks, nor any tribe as great. Could I have enough of food, I should love to be a Zhmud. Or a Kirghiz or a Yakut or a Tate. Henry William Hanemann, post: A man can die but- once. Parker: Once used to be enough, WEAR YOUR OLD CLOTHES until these psychic experts got bus: PATHETIC CASE OF THE MAN WHO HAS NO OLD CLOTHES AND WHO IAS TO BUY SOME comicbooks.