Life, 1923-12-13 · page 28 of 36
Life — December 13, 1923 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines satirical commentary with advertisements, typical of 1920s Life magazine. **The Satire:** "Aut Scissors, Aut Nullus" ("Scissors or Nothing") collects brief humorous observations. The pieces mock contemporary social changes: women's increasing independence and outspokenness ("thinking unprintable ones—and damme, they print 'em!"), casual smoking etiquette ("mixed smoking" in public transport), and a comedic dialogue between two shoeshine workers discussing a newspaper photo of a cat mothering rats—playing on language barriers and working-class philosophy. **The Cartoon:** "The Inconstant Moon" likely satirizes romantic poetry and lovers' complaints about the moon's unreliability as a metaphor for constancy. **The Advertisements:** The Christmas ads promote smoking products (pipes, cigarettes, tobacco) and shoe lacing hooks—positioned as "gifts" for discerning people. This reflects the era before tobacco health warnings. The page documents 1920s attitudes: emerging female autonomy treated as comic shock, working-class urban life, and casual promotion of smoking as luxury goods.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘AUT SCISSORS Aut NULLus Our Literary Ladies GENTLEMAN OF THE OLD Scuoot: In our day, what were women doing, sir? Thinking unutterable thoughts about us! Nowadays what are they doing? Think- ing unprintable ones—and damme, they print ’em! —wWill Dyson, in The London Mercury. Mixed Smoking Conpuctor: madam. Youn match ?—. This is a smoking car, apy: Oh, good! Have you a ew York World. Lonpoy Bus Driver (to Japanese ge tleman crossing Regent Street): then, Mah Jong, get a move on! ENT WILL —London Daily News. AS THROUGH AND RADIANT Founp on a college examination paper : IT's 0 “Medusa was one of the Grogans. —Christian Register. THE INCONSTANT MOON “SEE, MY EFLOVED, MY SHINING TAL- REAK THROUGH OBSCURITY THE MOON—CON FOUND Y IN THE FIRST QUARTER!” —Meggendorfer Blitter (Munich). Conversazione During a lull in business one shoe- shine artist who could read English was explaining to his companion the pictures on the illustrated page of a newspaper, One of the pictures showed a cat which was mothering several young rats. “Itsa cat anda da rat, and da raisea da rat.” Raise um up?” “No. Raise um down. da rat. “Likea eata da rat?” “No. Da rat no fraida da cat.” “Why da rat no fraida da cat?” “Because da cat no bitea da rat “Da cat lovea da rat?” “She thinka a da world of them.” “Thinka a da earth?” “Thinka a da world.” “Whatsa diff? Earth world a da earth?” The entrance of another customer put an end to the argument, which might otherwise have continued indefinite! cat Da cat likea a da world; ‘GuOUBS. VOW FULL —Youngstown Telegram, t! “Wort’s going on over there?” “A golden wedding.” “Curse these capital Lire is published every Thursday, simultaneo Great Britain, Canada and British Possessions, Title registered in. U.S Patent. Office. $5.00 a year in advance. Additional postage to foreign countries in the Postal Union, $1.60 a year; to Canada, 80 cents. Back numbers cannot be supplied. The text and illustrations in Lire are copyrighted. in Great Britain appl: Lane, London, E. C in the United States, For Reprint Rights to Lire, Rolls House, Breams Buildings, Fetter England The foreign trade supplied, from Lire’s London Office, Rolls House, i Buildings, London, E. C. Canadian distributor, ‘The American News Company, Ltd., 386-388 St. James Street, Montreal, Canada No contributions will be returned unless accompanied by stan addressed envelope. Lire docs not hold itself responsible for the non-return of unsolicited contributions, Notice of change of address should reach this office two wee to the date of issue to be affected. and loss or FOR CHRISTMAS Gifts that leave no doubt about the smartness of the giver! For sale wherever the “best people” buy the best of smoking things. Catalog on request Black paper, geld, silver, and plain ends. Inscribed with all Mab Jongg symbols. HARGRAFT & SONS 336 North Michigan Boulevard cHIcaco Canadian Depot Ben Wade Ltd. Vancouver, B.C. a_i CHURCHILL DOWNS AND MAH JONGG CIGARETTES BEN WADE PIPES AND HUDSON'S BAY TOBACCO common-sense evidence —on quality footwear—that the shoes are made for the wearer's convenience—Shoe Lacing Hooks. Your retailer c hooks n sell you shoes with lacin Insist on having what you want! comicbooks.com