Life, 1925-01-08 · page 6 of 37
Life — January 8, 1925 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct sections: **"Rough Spots" Section**: A satirical piece on William J. Board, an American inventor who created roadside billboard advertising. The cartoon mocks Board's solution to making rural American highways more visually interesting—placing large planks along roads to create "scenic" backdrops hiding the actual landscape. The humor targets both Board's invention and the broader concept of artificially manipulating tourist experiences. The caption "What's that steam-roller doing up here?" and the joke about "smoothing the static out of the air" mock the absurdity of this approach. **Right Column**: Travel directions to various towns with humorous commentary about each location's notable (or lack thereof) features—typical satirical guidebook humor common to Life magazine's style during this era. The overall tone ridicules both commercial tourism marketing and small-town America.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ROUGH SPOTS “WHAT'S THAT STEAM-ROLLER DOING UP HERE?” “HE'S SMOOTHING THE STATIC OUT OF THE AIR.” American Inventors’ Series William J. Board NAPOLEON and Waterloo, England and Nelson, Bryan and Evolution, Hart, Schaffner and Marx—these names are invariably associated; and yet even more inevitably entwined is the name of William J. (“Bill”) Board with the modern American countryside. Although the fact is not generally known, when Columbus. discovered America many years ago, he found a vast wilder- ness of hills and trees stretching farther than the eye could reach. It was Mr. Board, driving his horse and buggy through the country lanes in 1880, who first noted this de- plorable waste of space. If Road Signs Knew Candor You Are Approach BOHUNKISVILLE N_ 1894 Alderman Gaylad of This Town and Five Col- leagues Sold the Street Railway Franchise to the North. East, South and West Traction Company for $87,000 Cash and a Bundle of Stock. You Are Leavi BLAAHTOWN “Garden City of Blaahtown County.” Population 118, when Bill Smith Isn't Off on a Selling Trip. See the New Post It Cost You Plenty. Office. Turn Right for MUDBERRY The Town Hall, Built in 1908 While Rufus Rasway Was Mayor, Cost $5,876,931.57.. The Rasway Family Now Reside in Paris, France. ight Ahead to BUSTVILLE the City_of Home-Brey.” Settled by Chief Selectman Paryman in 1899 and Bankrupt Ever Since. 34 Mile More to TENNERBERRY Our Taxes Are the Highest in the County, but the Radio Receptivity Here Is the Clearest in the State. James K. McGuinness. Exercise Hints for Writers SEND two hours every morning splitting infinitives. Grind out two bushels of serial daily. Spend at least one hour with some old saws. Cut up five long paragraphs. Consume % doz. current puns Wade through two miles of slush. “What good is scenery.” he asked “if you can't get to it?” With this problem in mind, Board went to the mat with Nature and evolved the modern countryside. By placing large planks end-to-end along the roadside and effectually hiding all the unnecessary scenery, Board suc- ceeded in substituting for the antiquated open spaces an unbroken panorama of interesting pictures and entertaining data. The modern tourist, driving between miles of soap-, bread- and cigarette- signs stretching across our broad land, derives his impression of America from this invention of “Bill” Board's. Corey Ford. [7S & long lane that has any parking space, 1-0UT ENcouracto! “JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HEAVEN” comicbooks.com