Life, 1922-12-28 · page 15 of 37
Life — December 28, 1922 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a nostalgic poem by A.G. (likely Franklin P. Adams, a Life contributor) lamenting things lost to time—girls from the past, childhood games, lost songs, and last week's pay. The repeated refrain "Where are the snows of yester-year?" references medieval poetry's theme of transience. The accompanying cartoon depicts two men in early 20th-century dress examining a shop window display labeled "CHOPS" (meat cuts). The caption jokes that a window-dressing artist did good work but "might have done a bit more with the tongue"—a pun on both decorative presentation and verbal persuasiveness. Together, the content reflects early 1900s urban life preoccupations: nostalgia, consumerism, and workplace anxieties (the poem mentions "last week's pay").
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
, LIFE Ballade of Where Indeed HERE are the girls that once we met, Dorothy, Anabel, Rose and May? Where are the curls of gold or jet? Maybe I knew, but I forget; Vanished or bobbed or dyed or gray. Married, or dead or moved away. Where are the hens that used to set? Where are the games we used to play? Where are the eggs they used to lay? Where is the froth of erstwhile beer? Where is the deep, old-fashioned sleigh? Where is the wonderful one-hoss shay? Where are the songs that once were dear? : Where are the snows of yester-year? Where are the Pipes of Pan? and, pray, — Where are the snows of yester-year? Where is King Solomon’s amulet? Tarshish and Nineveh, where are they? Nobody’s guessed the answer yet, Only they’re gone, it seems, to stay. What has become of the word “obey,” Spoke by the bride so loud and clear? Where in the world is last week’s pay? Where are the snows of yester-year? Envoy Prince! Yours received of Xmas Day Asking for things no longer here; And in reply to same would say, Where are the snows of yester-year? A. G. Tx ml nN Window-Dressing Artist (to colleague): Good—nice design—free treatment—but I feel you might have done abit more with the tongue. \ comicbooks.com