Life, 1924-05-01 · page 8 of 40
Life — May 1, 1924 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains satirical humor typical of early 20th-century Life magazine. **Top section:** A poem "Spring on Avenue A" celebrates modest urban pleasures—trees, squirrels, street musicians—with gentle irony about finding contentment in ordinary city life. **Middle section:** "The Seven Wonders of the World" is a joke list where various countries express bewilderment: Satan wondering about idle hands, the Franc disappearing, square German meals, Russian recognition, and American uncertainty about "what's next." This satirizes national stereotypes and American anxiety about the future. **Bottom cartoon:** Shows a magistrate questioning why a witness didn't help during a fight, with the defendant's excuse that he couldn't identify the attacker until it ended. This lampoons courtroom logic and legal absurdity. The illustrations use sketchy, expressive linework characteristic of the period's editorial cartooning.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Irate Motorist (to passing sp ney! y'siG pum! ND: I work for idle hands to do France: has gone to and where the children are wonder how S: n I wonder where the franc coming from. Germany: T we meal tastes like Russia: Jer what a square : I wonder why people hate to recognize me fer who almost collided with him): LOOK WHERE YE'RE GOIN’! The Seven Wonders of the World Magistrate (to witness): Spring on Avenue A T'S cheerful in our neighborhood And almost easy to be good Down in the park the kind old trees Are holding squirrels on t And through the wind The happy peanut whistle n knees, hear wile ar, The very patient organ-man Plays just as often as he can, And when I'm out of doors my feet Go skipping up and down the street When spring comes to our neighbor- hood It's almost easy to be good Virginia Woods Mackall Nubbville Spark SHAZZAR BINKLEY, who do without the benighted States. first time yesterday, reports that he Mexico: I wonder what's all the heard sixty-nine noises he never knew shootin’ for could be made UL S.: T wonder what next HERE scems to be a growing num- OCIALLY we appear to be crystal- ber of politicians whose chief de lizing into the hold-upper and the sire is to run for the Whitewash House. —hands-upper classes. & ua nw WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP THE DEFENDANT WHEN THIS MAN ATTACKED HIM? “HOW THE DIVIL DID I XNOW WHICH WAS TO BE THE DEFENDANT UNTIL THE FIGHT WAS OVER?” comicbooks.com