Life, 1920-10-07 · page 22 of 56
Life — October 7, 1920 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Illustration**: "Mrs. Van Oodles, Candidate for Mayor, Gives a Tea" depicts a crowded social gathering, satirizing a female political candidate's campaign event. The scene mocks the notion of women in politics through the lens of high-society tea parties—suggesting her candidacy is merely social theater rather than serious political engagement. **Left Article**: "Revising the Old Masters" critiques Budapest museum restorers who removed the beard from a Jordaen painting of Adam. The author sarcastically suggests they might continue "correcting" famous artworks by removing beards from other masterpieces. This appears to reference post-WWI anxiety about Bolshevism (the restoration was possibly motivated by anti-communist sentiment, as beards symbolized Russian radicalism), while mocking the hubris of altering artistic heritage. **Bottom Cartoon**: "Origin of the Self-Starter" shows two figures operating what appears to be early film or projection equipment, with dialogue about showing "battle scenes from war movies." This likely jokes about the novelty of mechanical innovations and cinema during this era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MRS, VAN OODLES, CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR, GIVES A TEA Revising the Old Masters TEE experts at the Budapest art museum, in restoring Jordaen'’s fam- ous portrait of “ Adam and Eve,” painted out the beard which had previously adorned Adam's paternal countenance. Whether their action was a natural pro- test against whiskers a symbol of the Bolshevik menace, or wheter it was just sheer vandalism, is not disclosed in the Evening Sun's report of the outrage. While they are about it, the eminent restorateurs might exercise their tonsorial powers on the Vand. portraits of the cavaliers of King Charles's court, and also on da Vinci's “Last Supper” and some of Rembrandt's hurgomasters ; they will find ne nta” Velasquez and “ Lady Godiva” are badly in need of hair-cuts. y might even widen the scope of their activities and remove the enigmatic smile from the “Mona Lisa.” RE. S. “I'M putting on a show for the boys “Show them some battle scenes from from France, and I want something the war movies produced while they were fueey. What do you suggest?” ‘i ORIGIN OF THE SELF-STARTER comicbooks Rem