Life, 1922-04-13 · page 19 of 34
Life — April 13, 1922 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1922 Life magazine page satirizes post-WWI American monument-building aspirations. The top panels mock the idea of melting down old bronze statues of dignified statesmen to create new, informal sculptures celebrating contemporary figures—including "Secretary of State Elmer W. Grapejuice" (a fictional name mocking someone, likely Secretary of State Elmer Root or similar). The bottom panels present idealized allegorical sculptures: "Patriotic Valor" (Liberty with a child) and "Civic Virtue" (figures under an umbrella). The satire suggests America's need to replace stuffy 19th-century monuments with modern, relatable public art that could "inspire youth." The joke critiques both the impulse to constantly commemorate current events and the vagueness of what "modern" public monuments should actually represent.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The enduring bronze of thousands of frock coats must be melted down— and the statesman of to-morrow must be sculped in an informal yet veracious way that will touch and inspire the youth of our nation. GRAPEJVICE RECEIVING THE NEWS OF THE SIGNING OF THE TREATY SECRETARY OF STATE ELMER Ww: OF GRASSY SPRAIN & K * # # and the City Hall of the future must have something snappier to remember the Mayor by. comicbooks.com