Life, 1920-09-23 · page 11 of 40
Life — September 23, 1920 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents humorous vignettes mocking wealthy American and European tourists in Switzerland. The cartoons depict: **Social satire targets:** - Aristocratic pretension: "Distinguished kings and dukes are as thick as flies in Switzerland," drawing crowds of curious sightseers - Class anxiety: A waiter confronts the "Gookins" about etiquette violations at breakfast - Tourist desperation: Miss Aurora Swan hiding for three days to photograph herself as "Crown Prince's third assistant chef" - Social climbing gone wrong: Mr. Fipps of Chicago embarrassed after being mistaken for someone important at the Hotel de Suisse The humor lies in exposing the absurdity of wealthy tourists seeking status through European travel while committing embarrassing social blunders and fabricating credentials. It satirizes the era's obsession with Old World aristocratic prestige and nouveau-riche American aspirations.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
~LIFE Sightseeing in Switzerland Extinguished kings and dukes are as thick as flies in Switzer- land, and are drawing crowds of curious sightseers. Mr. MeGorrill is getting his money’s worth, for this is the sixth person this morn- ing he has had pointed out to him as the ex-Emperor of Austria. Yesterday, he made a score of eighteen The Brums have been trudging up and down the Alps for weeks, and the nearest thing to ex-royalty they've seen is a goat Mr. Brum, who made the trip under protest, is getting more and more Bolshevistic in his attitude toward the titled classes. Samer has it that the stalwart chambermaid at the Hotel de wise is none other than the ex-Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg- Gotha in reduced circumstances. Mr. Wimp is doubt- fol whether a tip is in order. The “ duchess,” who has really never been five miles from the shade of the Matterhorn, thinks it de- cidedly is. convinced that their haughty waiter is an impoverished ex-king or something. Shall they, in ordering ham and or four, him as “Your Majesty,” “Your Highness,” or merely lency"? The end of breakfast hour approaches, but they haven't got a two-thirds vote of the family yet. Miss Aurora Swan has lain hidden for three days and nights in a not-too-comfortable rosebush in order to get a snapshot of His Excellency the ex-Crown Prince of Montenegro. Here she is z a splendid close-up, which her hotelkeeper later identified Share the embarrassment of Mr. Fipps of Chicago, realizes that he is under discussion. d thinks he must have left off his cravat or trousers or something. As a matter of fact, one of the other guests at the Schweizerhof has merely identified him beyond doubt as the ex-Czar of Bulgaria, and is spreading the report. comicbooks.com