Life, 1923-06-14 · page 38 of 44
Life — June 14, 1923 — page 38: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines advertisements with satirical commentary on 1920s American leisure culture. **"True Rusticity"** is the main satire—a tongue-in-cheek article mocking wealthy Americans who claim to seek simple country living while actually recreating urban luxury and excess. The joke: their "rustic" summer resorts feature 70-80 person dinner parties, professional jazz bands, daily outfit changes, and cocktails at 4 p.m.—hardly rustic. The author sardonically notes that even the informality is formal (no dinner before 8 p.m., swimming only during "fashionable hours"). **"The Copy Reader"** is a sentimental poem about newspaper editors, celebrating how they chronicle life's dramas—tragedy, scandal, and human suffering—treating momentous events as mere "copy." The **advertisements** promote luxury travel (Mediterranean cruises, around-the-world voyages), upscale hotels, and Gibson mandolins—targeting the same wealthy leisure class being satirized. The Redwoods ad and Palace Hotel ad promote San Francisco tourism. These are straightforward advertisements, not satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Redwoods at San Trancisco's Door Your<first walk in the fresh cool, wiet of Muir Woods will be an un- Segetable experience. Starting from THE PALACE HOTEL inSan Francisco, which isatthe center ofthe business and shopping district, a short and picturesque trip by ferry and train takes you to the Woods. And this is only one of scores cf beautiful trips that San Francisco offers to the tourist. In San Fancisco Its The Palace THE PALACE HOTEL Management Halsey € Manwaring, Market at New Montgomery St San Francisco. Clark’s 21st Mediterranean Cruise Feb. 2 specially chartered White Star S. 8. ‘‘Baltic’’. 65 days, $600 up, including drives, guides, hotels, fees. Spa Greece, ‘Turkey, Palestine and Egypt, Italy, etc, @ charming route. Europe stop-overs. CLARK’S 4th ROUND THE WORLD CRUISE Jan. 19th, by specially chartered Cunarder *Laconia’’, 20,000 tons; ofl burner. 4 mos. $1000 up including hotels, guides, drives, fees. Stop overs in Europe. F.C. CLARK, Times Building.’ ‘New York | True Rusticity How charmingly rustic — the modern fashionable summer resort is! What a change from town! Of course, there are occasional dinner parties (perhaps four or five a week), small, informal affairs (consisting of seventy or eighty people dressed within an inch of their lives), and now and then there is a dance (though sel- dom more than one or two a night). The outdoor life (bridge begins immediately after lunch), the wholesome, regular diet (cock- tails are shaken at four o'clock sharp), and the early hours (the average party is usually over by five in the morning) all make for a robust health. Moreover, nearly every fashionable resort is suffi- ciently near town to facilitate the importation of jazz bands, profes- sional dancers and liquor, though the last-named commodity is al- most always to be had from the local bootlegger. Everything is so delightfully simple in the country—the unpre- tentious dwellings (some of them actually possess fewer than thirty hed-rooms), the rambling lanes (macadamized boulevards), and the natural wilderness (designed by a landscape gardener) all com- bine to produce a picture of genu- ine naiveté and unaffected charm. It is true that there is a certain note of informality (no dinner is ever given before eight o'clock), (the bathing beach is used only during the fashionable hour), (everyone changes his clothes at least four times a day), but then, are we not living in a decidedly unadorned age? The Copy Reader BeneatH his soft-nosed pencil flows The never-ceasing stream of life That we call news. And as it goes It breathes an echo of the strife— Men's joy or pain; the shame or pride With which they lived, or loved, or died. And yet the conquest of a plague; A scandal in society ; The cries of ravaged lands which beg A sheltered people's charity— Life's pageantry which passes by Is only copy to his eye. The gorgeous fancy of a wit, Or stilted phrase the law de- mands ; Each one, in turn, is but a bit Of work that passes through his hands. And, whether sober fact or whim, Is so much time and space to him. A. H., Jr. HOTEL ASPINWALL LENOX, MASS. High and Cool in the Berkshires June 16 to Oct, 15. Elevation. 1400 feet. Golf, Tennis, Saddle Riding, Orchestra Management L. A. TWOROGER Winter Resort; Princess Hotel, Bermuda Vacation Joys All Through the Year UT under summer's moon-lit skies or in the ¥ eery glow, alone or wherever friends gather, with a Gibson you get the thrill of pleasure, popularity, fireside's music you produce yourself—; increased income! Gibso: to: oil ick: ‘of the musi fhe bese Sasbny ised fob the tmpromple dence, abl tee best. Snappy “jazz songs, orclassical, as your mood dictates. ike a priceless Stradivarius, Gibson mandolins and guitars yield a irous tone. Banjos with that snappy ring ef you a Gibson now, No tails concerning mandolin, mandola, poser cello-banjo, harp-guitar, in-banjo, aa 80 much Wye 4 te fe its. ri need to delay, send coupon for imundo-ile, tenor-banje guitar bane gents make $ etarcdeires ae sy eo that gives their FREE BOOK ‘Tells why Gibsons are easiest to play; illustrates complete i coupon today for your copy, valuable trea- tiseon How to Practice, and information about bookonMan- a t0$5,000yearly. Nocapital required. Sear eee.” Wekte for iehormarion GIBSON MANDOLIN ~ GUITAR CO. comicbooks.com