Life, 1921-02-10 · page 20 of 42
Life — February 10, 1921 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains multiple elements: charitable announcements for the Fresh Air Fund (a real philanthropic effort sending poor urban children to the countryside), and a comic strip titled "The Difference." **The Comic's Point:** The joke satirizes American social pretension. When Willis mentions friends going abroad, Gillis initially assumes they're wealthy travelers going to be *entertained* in Paris and Los Angeles. The punchline reveals they're actually going to *provide education*—implying these Americans are wealthy enough to fund others' education abroad, a status symbol of the era. **"Embarrassing Moments"** (drawn by Walter Jack Duncan) depicts a separate, physical comedy sketch: an awkward guest holding a baby drops it with disastrous results, then unconvincingly claims never to drop babies. The humor relies on the obvious contradiction between the accident just witnessed and his reassurance. Both comics target common social anxieties—class performance and social embarrassment—typical of *Life* magazine's satirical approach during this period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LIFE: Hearts Warm in Winter OT even mid-winter chills the kindness in the hearts of Ltre’s generous and charitable readers. The endowments for the Fresh Air Fund recorded below prove that it is not their own discomfort and suffering from summer heat which prompts the readers of Lire to pity for the misery of the little children of the poor in the torrid season, When we are suffer ing ourselves it is easier to picture and be moved by the suffer- ings of others, but these endowments have not even that faint tinge of self-thought. They are not inspired by any unseason- able appeals although their donors have evidently borne in mind our statement that no matter when an endowment is established. its accruing income begins at once its work of alleviating suf- fering in the summer to come and in all the summers there- after Lire takes pleasure in acknowledging the receipt from F.C Atuerton. Esq., of Honolulu, Hawaii, of the funds to establish FRESIE AIR ENDOWMENT NO. 185 In the name of F.C. Atterton From Watter B. Cowrrrtuwair, Esq, of New York City the funds to establish FRESH ALK ENDOWMENT NO. 186 In the name of Wattre B. CowrrrtHwait From Mrs. W. A. Ricttarnsox, of Berkeley, California, the to establish FRESH AIR ENDOWMENT NO, 137 In Memory of Arce Ose THoMas. “4 j Drawn by Walter Jack Duncan ~ From Wituiam H. Wacker, Esq., of Flushing, N. Y., 8:8; has been received, this amount being excess subscri from the artists of Lire to establish endowments in memory of the late John Ames Mitchell, Founder and Editor of Lire The sum will be added to other miscellaneous receipts to establish another endowment For the benefit of those readers of Lire who are not familiar with the Fresh Air Endowments and their perpetual work of well-doing we reprint the following description of their object and the method of their establishment To establish a Fresh Air Endowny two hundred dollars in Victory or Liberty Loan 4!4-per-cent. ho r e tin other should be sent by registered mail to Lire’s Fresh Air Fund. Inc 17 West Thirty-first Street, New York. The income from this amount provides that every petuity, a poor child will be sent from the sl fork for a This work has now re than forty fortnight’s stay in the fresh air of the cov been carried on for thirty-three years, in wh thousand children have gained health and b t may bear any des The Difference ILLIS: I just returned from bidding good-bye to a of friends who are going abroad Guts: “Young Jones, from New York, is going over to be educated Who are they? in Paris, and young Smith, from Los Angeles, is going over educate EMBARRASSING MOMENTS wkward Friend (who has been permitted to hold the bab: NE HOW IT HAPPENED. TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE! 1 CAN’T IM ith disastrous results): REALLY, 1 ASSURE YOU, I—1 HARDLY EVER DROP A BABY. comicbooks.com