Life, 1920-09-02 · page 39 of 52
Life — September 2, 1920 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising and light social commentary**, not political satire. The main content includes: **"Summer Resorts" poem by Carolyn Wells**: A humorous critique of vacation destinations, mocking their pretensions. The verse satirizes resorts' false promises—boasting of sports and fine dining while delivering muddy tennis courts and inedible food. It also ridicules the social scene: endless chattering guests in rocking chairs and forced socializing. The author concludes she's unmoved by others' glowing reports. **Advertisements**: Tiffany & Co. (luxury goods), President Suspenders, Hays Superseam Gloves, and upscale NYC dining/hotels dominate the page. **Short humor pieces**: "In a World of Beauty" jokes about a nearsighted man who finds all women beautiful only because he can't see clearly. "As Speed Is Recorded" is a quick joke about car expenses versus speed. The satirical thrust targets **consumer culture and middle-class pretension**—particularly the marketing of leisure and luxury to aspirational Americans. The tone is gentle mockery rather than sharp political critique.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
~ _ ) re Tp riab eitie Arey Summer Resorts UMMER resorts, summer resorts, D Various places of devious sorts; Differing from one another in glory, Yet are ye all in the same category; Holler than prisons and grimmer than forts, ommer resorts, summer resorts! emmer resorts, summer resorts ily vaunting your climate and sports: Boating and bathing and fishing and sailing, Promising blithely and cheerfully fail- ing; ladowland golf links and mud tennis courts— ommer resorts, summer resorts! ommer resorts, summer resorts, Your commissariat appetite thwarts; Menus of length that is almost incred- ible, High-sounding dishes that prove quite inedible (Nothing at all served in pints or in quarts )— Sommer resorts, summer resorts! commer resorts, summer resorts, Wildly I flee thy piazza cohorts! Who, with continuous giggle and chat- ter, In wooden rockers eternally clatter ; Veiled innuendoes and caustic retorts— Semmer resorts, summer resorts! emmer resorts, summer resorts, hough to enjoy thee my neighbor ex- horts, Deep in my heart there is nothing but pity For poor wights of the city am not fooled by their glowing reports, Summer resorts, summer resorts! Carolyn Wells. ho “have to get out Jor comfort ery pair guaranteed | ADE AT SHIRLEY MASS CHUSETTS | irst Quality Leather-plus anufacturing Excellence TIFFANY & CO. PEARLS JEWELRY WATCHES CLOCKS SILVERWARE QUALITY PURCHASES MAY BE MADE BY MAIL FIFTH AVENUE & 37% STREET New YorRK Loxpon 221 ReGeNt STREET Paris 25 RUE DE LA Paix In a World of Beauty 'O him the women were, almost with- out exception, very beautiful. Their lips were so bright and red, their skin so fresh, and their color so good. He had never noticed that any of them rouged. No, their complexions all looked fresh and healthy and radiantly lovely. Always he felt as though he lived in a world of beauty, with women alluring and attractive to be seen everywhere. For he was very short-sighted. And he only wore his glasses for read- ing. | Mary Graham Bonner. | As Speed Is Recorded | West: How fast can your car go? Nort: The best I’ve been able to make so far is fifteen dollars and costs. EZ 19th Floor-—Always Cool Dancing 1 * ! #3551 Che BILT MORE 43rd and 44th Sts and Madison Ave. The Cascades Most unique dining room in New York. Beautiful deco- rations and lighting effects. Tiina ees comicbooks.com