Life, 1920-10-21 · page 30 of 44
Life — October 21, 1920 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains **two unrelated pieces**: a title-contest promotion and satirical fiction. ## Title Contest Life invites readers to caption the upper illustration—a domestic scene of well-dressed people in a parlor. The prizes ($500, $300, $200) indicate this was a popular reader-engagement strategy for magazines of the era. ## "It Takes Time" (Right Column) A satirical dialogue between an earnest suitor and a pragmatic young woman debating marriage. She argues that modern married couples need shared activities (golf) and conversation to maintain harmony. Her position—that love alone cannot sustain marriage without compatible environments and interests—reflects 1920s anxieties about companionate marriage versus romance. ## "Get a Horse; It's Cheaper" (Lower Cartoon) A visual joke about early automobiles: a car being towed is captioned with someone claiming they're "only economizing on gas." The humor satirizes the unexpected expense of car ownership versus traditional horses—a topical concern as automobiles became common but remained costly to operate. Both pieces reflect 1920s middle-class preoccupations: evolving courtship, marriage expectations, and technology's disruptive costs.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE’S -LIFE. Title Contest WHAT IS THE BEST TITLE FOR THIS PICTURE? For the best title to the picture above, LIFE will award prizes as follows: First Prize, : Second Prize,. . . Third Prizes... The contest will be governed by the fol- lowing RULES By “best” is understood that title which most cleverly describes the situa- tion shown in the picture. » title submitted shall consist of more than ten words. Hyphenated words will he counted as one. The contest is open to everybody. The contest is now open. It will close at noon on November 30, 1920. Ml titles should be addressed to the Contest Editor of Lire, Box 262, G. P. O., New York, N.Y. tain nothing but the competing title and Envelopes should con- $500.00 $300.00 $200.00 the name and address of the sender, plain- ly written, all on the same sheet. Titles will be judged by three members of Lire’s Editorial Staff, and their de- cision will be final. Titles may be original or may he a quo- tation author. Contestants may send in more than one title, In case of ties the full amount of the prize will be given to each tying con- testant. The final award will be announced as early as possible after the close of the from some well-known contest. Of this due notice will be given. Checks will he sent simultaneously with the announcements of the award GET A HORSE; IT’S CHEAPER “HEING TOWED?” “on, NO } ONLY ECONOMIZING ON GAS. It Takes Time HERE being no possible ques tion that we love each other.” said the ardent suitor, “is there any reason why we shouldn't get mar ried?” “None whatever,” said the ardent but none the less conscien- tious and cautious lady, the high cost of the superfluous.” “By which you mean—?” the suitor. “Take golf. We both pla and it is part of our lives. are people. There superfluous people, an “except there many not to know them is to argue onc self unknown.” “If we were married, we needn't play golf and we needn't know any hody.” Not for a but hy that time we should have to fall back ot what year or so, suitable conversation, and is con versation among decently married people if it itself with golf and peop! “But love conquers all things.” “All things but the superfluous—anc time.” “Have I been mistaken? and supremely beautiful girl, talking like this! Can it be that you are a cynic?” “No, sir! I am not a cynic. very practical person, with a college edu- cation, and am an observer of social con- ditions. One is a long time married or ought to be—and domestic happiness does not concern You, a young Tama comes from harmony, and harmony comes from a proper relationship to one’s en- We did not make our en We did not create golf, or people, or best sellers, or the drama, or vironment. vironment. motor cars or high rents. Love is one thing—a wonderful thing. But love can be crushed by one’s environment.” The ardent suitor was temporarily dis- comfited, but not entirely knocked out “Then about when do you think, dar ling girl, we can get married?” he 3 ‘ot in less than a couple of mont! declared quite positively take that much time to get my th gether.” Foot Tracks IVES of great men might ren How the kitchen servant swore, When those t On her fresh-mopped kitchen floo great ones left their comicbooks.