Life, 1926-02-18 · page 25 of 36
Life — February 18, 1926 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The Studio Party** satirizes pretentious bohemian gatherings of the 1920s. The text mocks the affectations and tedious conversation of artistic circles—endless self-important talk about "Work," name-dropping of famous figures (Shaw, Stravinsky, Chaplin), and pseudo-intellectual discussion. The satire targets the studied eccentricity and posturing: the hostess with her "brick red" hair and "Parisian accent," the endless "jabber" about art and literature, the exhausting social rituals of people trying desperately to seem important. **Low Visibility** uses a conversational format to joke about real estate marketing—when they bought the house it was foggy, so they couldn't see the view. The companion illustration shows children in a soapbox-car labeled "Honest Jake's," illustrating how deceptive advertising works. **A Study in Eugenics** presents social commentary on heredity and intelligence, discussing a couple whose intellectual disparity raises concerns about their offspring's capacity—reflecting early 20th-century eugenic anxieties (now recognized as pseudoscientific racism). All three pieces exemplify Life's satirical approach to modern urban society.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
- LIFE: The Studio Party the s amidst the and pool } rounding it....The crush of chattering, milling two. small, he sealed rooms... . The cock-eyed pic kew on black walls....The host ess....Her mop of unkempt hair, brick red....Her_ per- fumed cigarettes... Her ewa F sian accent The lion of the occasion er y devotees Art....His gab about his Work... Another corner of the r Ist of his partic .-His gab nis We Jabber... Jab ] Shaw, the D. ky, Ornstein the Double Dealer. who tells you . circumventions, neur botton elevator boy Galsworthy intimatel kowski, also D. H. 1 a anyb« to be ntioned... lady g a play writing a novel.. 3 writing her confe Mencken, Nathan, € Tagore, Pi ple.”...Arlen.... Arlen... That sudden Strindberg, Ham: The stifled yawns ant yawns. the missing overcoat... . The esc relief....The oath never to be lured into a Low Visibility SITOR: What a lovely view from your window On the day we bought this place it was foggy OUR answer to the ane era going s: It's going into of another. IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE. Where is the modern jazz HONEY-COD everybody They had t | | ! i gence of the entire baby was 1 But becar taken out for cit comichooks, om