Life, 1924-03-20 · page 26 of 42
Life — March 20, 1924 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1920s Life magazine page contains three satirical sections: **"Telephone Conversations"** mocks the era's status consciousness. The U.S. joke shows a businessman's secretary deflecting calls—implying the executive is too important to answer. The Europe counterpart presents a absurdist contrast: calling a European king, who answers directly, suggesting American pretension versus Old World directness. **"The Advertisers' Bartlett"** is a parody advertisement section where famous Shakespeare quotes are humorously rewritten as product endorsements (pajamas, alarm clocks, etc.)—satirizing how advertisers then co-opted culture to sell mundane goods. **The cartoon "At Monte Carlo"** depicts wealthy tourists at the famous gambling destination discussing money. The exchange mocks the casual attitude of the rich toward spending: one visitor plans to stay "as long as my money holds out," with another casually committing to return tomorrow—suggesting frivolous, unlimited wealth among the leisure class. Throughout, the satire targets early 20th-century American social pretension, commercialism, and wealth disparity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Telephone Conversations United States OICE (ende teenty- five-hundred-a-year man): May [ speak to Mr Voice (as of a scerctary): Mr is ticd up in an important conference just ring to converse with a business Sarlow ? Barlow at present and is unable to come to. the phone. I'll take the message Europe Voice: May I speak to the King? Voice: This is the King speaki &. Be The Advertisers’ Bartlett HONBERG'S Sitors Assure A Perrect “De. or not 2R".— “Tell me Frt At Aut Times where is fancy bred?”—Morner Crust Biss Kits Make Sturpy Laps ann Lasses. “My little body is a-tecary of this great world.”—Stece Rite Pajamas Brine Sorin Comrort axp Sweetest Dreams. Loxser’s Liry Mup Witt Make You Artractive AGAIN “Should auld acquaintance be forgot?” KNOW! E Memory Minn To a Hair. nspicuous by their absence.” Invisiaty Perrect Invisteee “Methought 1 heard a ‘Sleep no more!’ "—Suum Ber-Crasner ALarM Ciocks ror Tat Earty Starr. H.W. H. “Is she not passing fair? Dos't Guess. TRAINS THE Sine’s Course Dreapnavont Haiknets PeRrECTLY voice cry, AT MONTE CARLO “HOW LONG DO YOU EXPECT TO BE THERE?) “AS LONG AS MY MONEY Hotps out.” “WELL, I'M GOING BACK TO-MORROW MYSELF.” LIFE - HOW SOME BUSINESS MEN MAKE THEIR STENOGRAPHERS FEEL TOWARD THEM Lay late, invite my upon I all the wo y soul and ponder y, but I could think of naught save men I ought to invite to luncheon and trying te Ht March 13th do not, and what is to be done about getting the surface of our furniture back to something approaching its original state. Sometimes I would that we tables of the sort to. Methuselah,” thoroughly had steel cabinets and rd Shaw for “Back 1 most ught these 1 cigarettes on selected by Bert Lord! the house-broken citizens think n; of placing damp highball glasses and light because best-bred days museum pieces, nor would I be the kind of woman to defend them from doing so, neither, wherefore my situation is hope- less....All the morning on the telephon of the Buffalo Chop tea I had in Hart ford at John and Val trying to get some Griggs’, with no success, but every merchant was eloquent of substitutes. All men must | be what David said....In the afternoon ] to sce the Sargent pictures, and met Oliver Herford, who lamented the old- fashioned and unbe iful raiment of } some of the subjects, and it reminded me of my mother’s injunction never to wear a hat when sitting for a photo- \i graph iW March UP betimes, and when T de | manded of Sam what we Ith Should give Ernest Wilkins | for a wedding present, he quoth, Some- ] thing not so grand as a dinner service \q nor yet so simple as a mustard pot. which, albeit small aid and comfort in y itself, did encourage me to lay out at | least fifty dollars. So straightway to a | silversmith’s, and bought there a_ fine | old box, with which I am loath to part | Never do I give away an article which | T am not eager to retain, but cither it is not so with all of my friends, (Continued on page 31) or there comicbooks.com