Life, 1920-07-29 · page 22 of 36
Life — July 29, 1920 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines social commentary with humor typical of early 20th-century Life magazine. The main cartoon depicts Columbus's ship approaching a modern New York City skyline, posing the question "Would Columbus have turned back if—?" This is satirical commentary on urbanization and industrial America: the implication is that the explorer might have reconsidered "discovering" America upon seeing the crowded, polluted modern city. Below this is a humorous list titled "What Is So Rare As a Day in June?"—playing on the Lowell poem. It catalogs everyday American frustrations: poison ivy, train crowding, telephone operator errors, sunburn, bills, and romantic skepticism at weddings. The Charlie/Johnny dialogue jokes about sound traveling through a vacuum, reflecting early-20th-century pseudo-scientific humor. The page's substantial remainder promotes Life's "Fresh Air Fund," soliciting donations for endowments sending poor NYC tenement children to the countryside during summers. Multiple specific endowments are listed, some memorial gifts honoring the deceased, others from organizations like the Red Cross. This reflects Progressive Era charitable concerns about urban poverty and child welfare.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
| WOULD COLUMBUS HAVE TURNED BACK IF What Is So Rare As a Day in June? DAY in the country without any poison ivy. A day before a holiday when you are able to get a seat in the train. A day during which the telephone oper- ator gives you every number correctly. A day at the beach minus sunburn. The same day withont any lunch parties or small boys throwing balls. A Fourth of July without accidents. The first of the month without a bill. A wedding day on which no one re- marks that the bride might have done better, A day on which the boss calls you into his office and says, “ Young man, we have decided that you are worth more to us.” A day on which you take the first ride in your new car, Pay day. HARLIE: in one ear and out the other. Jounny: Impossible! “ Why?” “Sound can't know, old fellow.” What you say just goes cross a vacuum, you More Fresh Air Endowments IF you should wake in the middle of one of these sweltering nights when slcep is difficult even in your own comfortable or luxurious surroundings and conven- iences, give a moment or two. of your waking thoughts to what at that time is being endured by the little children of the poor in New York’s crowded tenements To be sure, work is plentiful and wages are high, and, if parents were always thrifty, or were wise enough to live in the country, we should have no children suf- fering in the ci Unfortunately, no matter w these little poor children we with us, and it is the mission of Lire’s Fresh Air Fund to give some of them each summer a little respite from misery for which they, in any case, are not to blame. The already established are now doing their work of helping these children, and will continue to do it in perpetuity. If you are interested to know just how to establish one, the meth- od is shown below. There have been received, from Mrs. A Millard of New York City, funds to estab- lish FRESH AIR ENDOWMENT NUMBER 168 Lovingly remembering Samvuet Brown Mit- LARD, 1889-1908. From Mrs. William N. Washington, D. C.,-funds to establish FRESH AIR ENDOWMENT NUMBER 169 In Memory of my son, Witttas Stroxc, Jx., Lieutenant in Canadian Expeditionary Force, who was gassed at Vimy Ridge and died as the result y from summer heat »se the fault, ave always endowments Strong of From Carl Taylor, Esq., of New York City, funds to establish FRESH AIR ENDOWMENT NUMBER 170 From and in the name of Memeres or Tie American Rep Cross Coxmissiox ror tue Retin or Attiep Prisoxers 1x Ger MANY. Also. establish FRESH AIR ENDOWMENT NUMBER and in the name of Mestmens oF Americas Rep Cross Commission rox Nortiters Ressia axo tHe Battic Stat through Mr, Taylor, funds to To establish a Fresh Air Endowment two hundred dollars in Victory notes or Liberty Loan 4!4-per-cent. bonds should be sent by registered mail to. Live's Fresh Air y Inc., 17 West Thirty-first Street, New York City. The income from this amount provides that every summer, in perpetuity, a child will be sent from the slums of New York for a fortnight’s stay in the fresh air of the countr A Fresh Air Endowment may bear any designation its donor chooses. poor comicbooks.