Life, 1921-03-31 · page 33 of 34
Life — March 31, 1921 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains multiple satirical sections typical of early 20th-century Life magazine: **"Safety First" cartoon**: Two working-class women on a London train discuss a diamond ring. One argues it's smart to buy jewelry rather than save money, since "Lloyd George can't get at" it (referencing British tax policy) and pawn shops treat women respectfully—unlike how husbands are treated when pawning clothes for drinks. The satire mocks working-class financial desperation and marital dysfunction. **"Gratuitous" and other brief jokes**: Short quips about domestic disputes, male infidelity, and social pretension typical of the era's humor. **Waterman's Fountain Pen Advertisement**: The large illustrated ad features comedic theatrical masks promoting the pen as ideal for writers and professionals. **"The Biltmore" theater advertisement**: Notes the venue's social prominence. **Brief jokes at bottom**: Commentary on failed singing lessons and an Englishman's appreciation of Broadway's bright lights, with the punchline that illiterate people would enjoy them even more—mild satire on commercialism and lowbrow entertainment. The page reflects period attitudes toward class, gender, and consumer culture.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MOTORS homey JL SIZES MOTORS AND GENERATORS UP TO 6 H. P. Safety First (Discussion between two ina Tube train.) “That's a pretty dimond ring, dearie!"” “Yus, it corst thirty pund. Better put yer money into somethin’ pretty to look at, which Lloyd George can’t get at ner bailiffs seither. Besides, they treats yer like a lidy when yer tikes a reel good ring into the popshop—not as if you was common dirt, pawnin’ yer ‘usband’s trousies fer a drop @ érink."—London Morning Post, “ work-ladies” icking ox ang it al, patiently, T expec, ng Post, J a . ard . of articles Gratuitous As quick as wit in its Sealey Puzericntee’s Fateno (interrupting quar- srite'cn, [| rel): Don't stand his nonsense, Bill, Hit “im! response to your penman x tea Paevicuter: Wot! For no purse nor ship demands. te-money ! —London Opinion. ae , Ready as repartee to gy We used to laugh at the boys who ran score the point you wish to ible fora J away from home to kill Indians, Now we make in verse or prose. pity the girls who start West to become jer named movie heroines—Des Moines Register. Frees you from the limited onto) environment of a desk and 1d wor ) ink well and makes any time y a chasi- and every place convenient. We tare s the 4 The perfect writing tool for script. authors, students, teachers, law- yers, doctors, business men or women, and everyone whose occupation or social obligations Waterman’s demand penmanship. Ideal Ink Wat Ideal is th a's aterman’s Ideal is the wor! 6 BELUANS Best for foun- tain pens end Standard for quality, efficiency, got vate generaluse. and durability in a fountain pen. BEL ~ L-AN Three types, Regular, Safety, Self-Filling, $2.50 to $250.00. EJ FOR INDIGESTION ° Selection and service at best stores everywhere L. E. Waterman Company, 191 Broadway, N. Y. 129 So, State Street, Chicago 24 School Street, Boston 17 Stockton Street, San Francisco The BILTMORE Discouraging Discovery Suz: So you've given up the idea of tak- Irate Loncer: Hey, you on the fifth floor, ing singing lessons. what's the idea of all this row? Where the social life He: Yes; I found it would take me three Reverier (just returned): The fifth years to learn to sing as well as I thought I floor—really, the fifth? Thanks; I had no of New York centers sang already.—Boston Transcript. idea just which floor it was. is —Le Journal Amusant (Paris) by day and evening Cottages in Spain He: By Jove! I'd like to own that cot- Illiterate Appreciation CLOSE tage! An English novelist took his first look TO ALL THEATRES Sue: Wouldn't it be lovely? All we'd at Broadway aflame with light. He read the AND SHOPS need would be a nice apartment in the city flashing and leaping signs and said: |“ How for about eleven months out of the year. much more wonderful it would be for a man —Harper’s. who couldn't read."—Atlanta Constitution comicbooks.com