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Life, 1920-08-05 · page 36 of 48

Life — August 5, 1920 — page 36: what you’re looking at

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Life — August 5, 1920 — page 36: Life, 1920-08-05

What you’re looking at

This page combines advertisements with a humorous essay titled "A Little Talk by One Who Cured Himself of the Derby-Hat Habit." **The Main Satire:** The essay mocks derby hat wearers through absurdist history. It claims Puritans invented the derby in 1642 specifically to suppress joy and enforce dullness—describing it as a tool of conformity and social control. The author presents himself as having overcome a shameful "addiction" to wearing derby hats, now liberated by switching to a fedora. **The Social Joke:** This satirizes early 20th-century American conformity and fashion conventions. The derby hat was standard formal wear for businessmen and the respectable classes, so the essay ridicules how fashion dictates behavior and identity. By treating hat-wearing as a "vice" and "depravity," the author mocks both fashion obsession and the moral rigidity associated with traditional dress codes. **Context for Modern Readers:** The derby hat symbolized establishment conformity; rejecting it represented personal freedom—a subtle critique of how fashion enforces social expectations. The page's advertisements (Waterman pens, Cuticura Soap, seasickness remedy) are period marketing.

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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

qk The Quality and Efficiency of— That’s why it was achieved by putting quality materials and quality workmanship into every step in its production. Waterman’s Ideal Fountain Pen is intended by its makers to be the highest grade fountain pen that 37 years of fountain pen making experience can produce. L. E. Waterman Company 191 Broadway, New York Chicago Three Types Regular, Safety and Self-filler $2.50 and up at Best Dealers San Francisco Free! A Little Talk by One Who Cured Him- self of the Derby-Hat Habit T last Iam free! For nearly twenty 's I have been one of those sad, broken creatures whose vice has been its own punishment, whose confession of weakness is its own badge of shame. I refer to those awful proofs of the fall of man from proud independence to despon- dent gregariousness, the derby-hat addicts. Although my old friend and colleague, Gilbert H. Britannia, takes issue with me in his pamphlet, “ Encyclopedia on India Paper,” the derby hat was really first de- signed and manufactured by a commit- tee of Puritans in October, 1642. The meeting was called to provide means for curbing a spirit of gaiety that threatened the very soul of Puritanism. “We want something to protect our posterity from laughing at cach other,” said the chairman; “something that will Cuticura Soap — Imparts —— The Velvet Touch Soap, Ointment. Taleum 25e.everywhere For Seal emiccie Laboratories Dopey tealice hind them closer than chains. It my highly moral and austere and insipid” So they invented the derby hat. Of course the Puritans didn’t wear th things themsely It was their descend. ants they were king out for. Whee the old town was down in 1832, their plan at last bore fruit A derby hat was found buried in the cor nerstone. Attached to it was a card, read ing, “Put me on your heads.” Some lunatic did. Many philologists now agree that the obsolete phrase describing a brainless and absurd person, “He is talking through his hat,” referred to those who wore derby hats The derby hat soon became a nation depravity. Despite heroic efforts, mar could not shake it off, except for a few months in the summer, During the last few years, however, a spirit of sartorial consciousness has bee slowly manifesting itself. Many thinkers have shown that the derby-hat rest habit can be conquered as easily as any other habit. I am proud to count myself them, I am at last free. I have just bought a beautiful gray fedora. Mare Con PawERSILY On SeISEASICK, Neo DLs aN] Dee fripis Stem Spoiled if| ou become or , asick, Thousands of Travelers the world over depend upon | MOTHERSILL’S SEASICK REMEDY Prevents and relieves nausea, Practically « | Steamship Companies on both fresh and sal | water have offcially adopted, and advise. ths remedy. No cocaine, morphine, opium. chloe, coal tar products or their derivatives nor other | habit forming drugs. Sold by leading druggists everywhere on guarantee of satisfaction or money refunded. 60c and $1.20. MOTHERSILL REMEDY COMPANY DETROIT, MICHIGAN MnP EI | comicbooks.co nm