Life, 1925-07-16 · page 28 of 40
Life — July 16, 1925 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Cartoon:** Depicts working-class immigrants on a ship's deck discussing their jobs in heavily phonetic, stereotyped dialect. The conversation mocks elevator operators' repetitive labor ("up and down all the time") with comic exaggeration. The title "Lessons in New Yorkese" satirizes immigrant speech patterns—the dialect rendering suggests these are likely Italian or Eastern European immigrants struggling with English. The satire targets both their labor conditions (monotonous work) and American attitudes toward immigrant speech as comical and inferior. **Bottom Two Cartoons:** Separate gag comics unrelated to the main piece. One involves a marriage proposal with comedic hesitation; the other jokes about mosquitoes and tent space during fishing. The page exemplifies early-20th-century American magazine humor that relied on ethnic caricature and stereotyped dialect for comedic effect—content reflecting period attitudes toward immigrant workers as subjects of ridicule rather than sympathy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“EUROPE? HELL, No! WE'RE GOIN’ T’ TH’ HOLY LAND,” Lessons L howsaworl treatinya? Keep- inya bizzy?” *Yaseddit. Sjawbsa__ bunk nuff ferrem.” unk izzit?” “Yaseddit — sabunk Uppan down uppan down alla time anyacant dowa- nuff ferrem.” “Wella wooden say runnina nella- ta wuz whacha micalla nekzactin b” Isayittaint ckcitin. uppan down alla time. yano whattamean?” “Welleres lotsa woisejawbsan nina nellavayta Joe.” “Izzatso?— Itsabunk lemme tellya fella. Gettuppita top annen whadda wldo? Come down atta bottim agen.” “Wellats nacheril ainnit?” “Sjus wotitaint nacheril. Sway ittis allatime. No wackshin no wair jussa lotta boobs gowin uppan down uppan down, Anyacant dowanuff ferrem. At- taint nacheril izzit?” “Wellno Iguessittaint sanacheril.” “Uppan down uppan down allatime. yacant Uppan down No wackshin run- On the Elevator Alla dowis garriback tawherea star- Itellya itsabunk.” “Wellen whyncha chukkit?” “Yaseddit chukkit. Im- sonna gemme ajawbsa suwway gawd.” jawbsa suwway gawd Joc? At- taint sahot izzit?” “Owaintit? Asuwway gawds sum- mim provemint tadisjawb Itellawoil. sawobbe gowan uppan down uppan down likeis alla time.” from. Imgonna Alease in New Yorkese “Atsa fack. Yawobbe gowan uppan down nummore.” “Yaseddit Iwont. fawt.” Ibe gowan backan Henry William Hanemann, Form-Fitting ORA: I'll bet the mosquitoes nearly ruined your fishing trip. Dumpssett: Oh, no; when we got in that pup tent of ours there wasn’t any room for mosquitoes. “WILL YOU MARRY ME? SAY NO, AND L WILL JUMP OVERBOARD.” “{ WISH YOU WOULD PULL UP THAT HEAVY ANCHOR BEFORE I ANSWER YOU.” comicbooks.com