Life — February 15, 1923 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Life: A Valentine of Old Manhattan" This is a romantic poem by C.S. (likely Charles S. Sanford or similar contributor) celebrating early New York City. The piece is nostalgic rather than satirical—it romanticizes a "long ago" encounter between a maiden with "brown as a berry" eyes and a debonair young man on a morning ferry crossing in Manhattan. The accompanying illustrations depict period-appropriate scenes: couples in Victorian dress, riverside landscapes, and ferry boats. The poem emphasizes idealized lost love and the beauty of old New York, with references to Saint Valentine's Day as the thematic frame. This appears to be sentimental editorial content rather than political satire—typical of *Life* magazine's mixed approach to humor and sentiment in the early 20th century.