Life, 1926-06-17 · page 28 of 44
Life — June 17, 1926 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains two main satirical pieces mocking New York City life. **"Anything But—"** is a humorous essay satirizing New York's self-promotion. It lists things supposedly unavailable in the city despite boasts of having "everything"—including natives who can give directions, courage to explore the Public Library, honest taxi drivers, and residents who've actually visited famous landmarks like the Statue of Liberty or Grant's Tomb. The piece references **Wayne B. Wheeler**, a Prohibition activist, mocking torchlight parades held in his honor. The satire captures post-Prohibition New York cynicism and the gap between the city's grand image and mundane reality. The top cartoon shows a couple dancing, with dialogue suggesting the male partner is energetic and somewhat clumsy on the dance floor—a simple domestic joke about dancing ability. **"Nailing a Rumor"** is a brief anecdote about spreading false gossip regarding a woman's manicure business income, lamenting that "the manicure business ain't what it used to be."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Clo: TeD CERTAINLY IS FULL OF PEP WHEN HE'S DANCING, ISN'T HE? Flo: yes, rxveep! HE’S ALWAYS RIGHT UP ON YOUR TOES. Anything But— “New York is the City of Cities, the Wonder Metropolis of the World. Whatever can be found elsewhere, that can be found also in New York.”—From a real estate boosting circular. Wi maybe. That is, of course, anything ex- cept— Natives capable of directing strangers to the street from the express platform of the Pennsylvania sub- way station. Citizens possessing sufficient courage to penetrate the highways, byways and bosky dells of the New York Public Library in search of a book. An open, horse-drawn carriage occupied by other than (a) two old ladies in black silk temporarily registered at the Waldorf, or (b) a group of young gentlemen some- what the worse for liquor and having one hell of a time. A taxicab driver possessing the faintest his arm. Any brownstone-front house in the Forties or Fifties, a ring at the basement bell of which won't bring to the door a personage with interrogating eyebrows and a napkin over Torchlight parades in honor of Wayne B. Wheeler. The firm conviction (a) among residents, that after you've lived a while in New York pretty nearly any other town would look good to you, and (b) among non-residents, that New York is a poor place to visit but would be perfectly swell to live in. Any “New Yorker,” resident for more than a year, who will confess ever to have visited the Statue of Liberty, the Wool- worth Tower, Grant’s Tomb or the Aquarium, Gentiles (obs.). Tip Bliss. Nailing a Rumor inkling of which way the one-way — First Trained streets go south of Fourteenth. Flea: wrt, A sightseeing bus that starts when Ms anton the barker says it will start. . HAVEN’? SEEN Enforcement of the theatre-ticket- you mn A speculating law. noG’s AGE. “Play streets for children” not given HOW ? s over to a fleet of trucks, taxis and THES “ MOST Ford owners have developed vegetable hawkers’ wagons. BROADWAY BANTER a good bump of location. ONGACRE: They say your Seed Arte Lae is. making money hand USUAL THING over fist. Bouwerte: Yeh—but the manicure LAYOFFS AND SLEEPER business ain't what it used to be! JUMPS, comicbooks.com