Life, 1924-11-20 · page 34 of 40
Life — November 20, 1924 — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains **three distinct elements**: a banking advertisement, a short humorous story, and a Bayer Aspirin ad. **Main Content**: The centerpiece is a satirical anecdote about an overly verbose music critic named Gwathmey who uses grandiose, affected language ("sweeping," "poignant," "captivating") to describe mundane things. When the narrator asks why he speaks this way, Gwathmey explains it's hereditary—his father made his living writing publishers' announcements, implying a profession built on inflated prose. The joke mocks pretentious literary criticism and advertising copywriting of the era. **Context**: The Continental and Commercial Banks advertisement emphasizes "efficiency" and "service," while also noting Life's Fresh Air Fund charity work. The final vignette about turkey size is a separate brief joke about gratitude. **The Bayer Aspirin ad** dominates the lower half, emphasizing brand authenticity and medical credibility—addressing 1920s concerns about counterfeit medicines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
32 * LIFE - AN EXTRA MEASURE OF SERVICE Lire’s Fresh Air Fund Season of 1924 A— ive Receipts Contributions ..........64 Income from Endowments, LE from Marion Storey, James Buchanan Brady and Re- serve Funds and from — 4>#jjoee—- bank deposits Anonymous contri A DEAR, DEAD WORD—efficiency, long associated new buildings and equip- with time Studies and Stop watches. In defining per- ment formance measured against time its use is probably Bilsnceson aed iauGose of justified but, for this institution, we profess efficiency Season 1923 -+++-++s+eee as a matter of organization—over 2200 trained em- : ployes—of invested capital—over 60 million dollars —of experience gathered through sixty years of the nation’s change and growth, of world-wide connec- tions, of constructive policy and of earnest purpose, supplemented by capacity to serve. The result is fairly denominated banking efficiency and it contributes to the extra measure of service normal to this institution. Disbursements The CONTINENTAL and Tats COMMERCIAL Number of Children entertained—1,722, (For Fresh Air Endowments BANKS oe CHICAGO Derixition of a popular song—o that makes us all believe that we can really sing. RESOURCES MORE THAN 500 MILLIONS! and without convention, this book re- e cords the psychological development of zB an amateur music lover. It’s a book ER for any one to whom music means more than sounding brass or a tinkling cym- PZ ba...” @ Just at this point, Gwathmey—I ra think it was Gwathmey—came up and led me away. Even as we departed. sounds like “brief but satisfactory,” “sweeping in its broad pictures,” . “poignant,” ‘“‘colorful,” “fascinating,” “alluring,” “captivating,” “bewitching” floated back to us. “What's the matter with him?” I asked, when I had partially recovered. é +3 "EK? Matter wih him? Ora | SAY “BAYER ASPIRIN” and INSIST! it’s very sad,” answered Gwathmey. “It’s hopeless. Nice fellow, too.” “ ” “How does he get that way?” I per- Unless you see the Bayer Cross’ on tablets you are sisted. not getting the genuine Bayer Aspirin proved safe oa said Gwathmey. “It's by millions and prescribed by physicians 24 years for y: “Hereditary?” I asked incredulously. a “How can that ungodly Niagara of un- Xz s Colds Headache necessary words be hereditary?” “Well, you see,” explained Gwath- A Pain Neuralgia mey, “his father made his living writ- ing publishers’ announcements.” T i H.W. H. oothache =Lumbago iti heumatism Poutterer: How large a turkey do Neuritis R you wish, ma’am? * Bre: Well, of course, we want it Accept only “Bayer” package which contains proven directions. large enough to mean that we are really Handy “Bayer” boxes of 12 tablets—Also bottles of 24 and 100—Druggists. thankful. Aspirin is the trade mark of Bayer Manufacture of Monoaceticaciester of Salicyticact4 comicbooks.com