Life, 1920-11-18 · page 30 of 44
Life — November 18, 1920 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features **LIFE's title-writing contest**, inviting readers to caption an illustration of elegantly dressed people in what appears to be a formal interior setting. Winners receive $500, $300, and $200—substantial prizes for 1920. The contest closes November 30, 1920. Below are two brief comedic sketches: **"The Contributing Cause"** jokes about aging: a man notes years passed quickly in youth because he avoided "painful payments" (likely installment debt). **"Blood Will Tell"** suggests heredity explains behavior—a child's crude language supposedly stems from his mother being a militant suffragette and his father a "confirmed golfer" (implying frivolous character). This reflects early-20th-century notions linking temperament to parentage. The page primarily showcases **reader participation content**, common in LIFE's satirical format, rather than editorial commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-LIFE.- LIFE’S Title Contest Copyright Life Pub. Co. 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 Prize, 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. No title submitted shall consist of more than ten words. Hyphenated words will be counted as one. The contest is open to everybody. The contest is now open. It will close at noon on November 30, 1920. All titles should be addressed to the Contest Editor of Lire, Box 262, G. P. O., New York, N. Y. Envelopes should con- tain nothing but the competing title and $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 be a quo- tation from some well-known 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 contest. Of this due notice will be given. Checks will be sent simultaneously with the announcements of the award. Q8'PQLODOSDOOVSE The Contnbuting Cause TILLY: When I was a young man the years didn’t pass as quickly as they do now. Nitty: then. They had no painful payments Blood Will Tell! UB: What child uses! Dus: - Well, his mother was a militant suffragette and his father a confirmed golfer. terrible language that “suRE, AN’ IT’S HATIN’ LIKE HELL I AM 1’ BE BOTHERIN’ YE, MIKE, BUT WOULD YE MIND LETTIN’ ME HAVE FIRST WHACK AT TH’ APARTMENT YE'LL BE LEAVIN’?” comicbooks.comy