Life, 1926-07-22 · page 23 of 37
Life — July 22, 1926 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top illustration satirizes 1890s social etiquette and dental hygiene trends. The caption explains that late-nineteenth-century dentists promoted tooth-picking as a health practice, but genteel society—concerned with appearances—would shield this "delicate operation" behind a napkin to maintain propriety. The joke targets the absurd gap between health advice and social convention: people would perform necessary hygiene only if they could hide it from view. The accompanying text sketches stereotypical hotel characters from that era (the "Jazz Baby," "Sweet Young Vamp," etc.), capturing period social types. The "Poor Butterfly" section below is a brief comedic story: a woman named Wilhelmina dramatically awaits someone, building romantic tension through her emotional turmoil—only to reveal she's been waiting for a *waiter* to bring her prune pie. The humor derives from deflating melodramatic romance with mundane reality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE LATE PICK, THE GAY NINETIES NESSED THE LAST PUBLIC APPEARANCE OF THE ELABORATE VESTPOCKET TOOTH- DISCIPLES OF THE DOCTRINE THAT “A CLEAN TOOTH NEVER DECAYS, HOWEVER, WERE E- TO SHOW THEIR GOOD BREEDING BY SHIELDING THE DELICATE OPERATION WITH A POLITE NAPKIN, The Tourist Hotel HE Lady in the pants and Te middy blouse with a star on the collar and the psyche knot. The Sweet Young Vamp who at- tempts all the sugar papas in her all-day hikes up and down the lobby and is finally seen monopolizing the spare time of the saxophone player in the orchestra. The Merry Girls (@t. 45 and up) who are never separated and whose happy laughter at Mamie’s soreness from her horse-back ride makes the whole lobby glad. The Jazz Baby who begins when the orchestra leaves off at ten o'clock and never, never, never leaves off. The Orchestra Program member,” “Songs d'Amour,’ ment Musical,” “Sr “By the Waters of } Old Refrain.” The Waitresses in Swiss costumes. The Cigarette Girl in pink silk pajamas. The College Boy who is taking law next year and plays the banjo in the help’s orchestra after he is through at the shoe-shining stand. The Three Bellboys on the bench reading the same copy of Amazing Stories. Us. ilin’ Through,” innetonka” and Baron Ireland. PAsToR (in pulpit): We shall all know each other in heaven. Littte Mary (in loud whisper): Mamma, can we make believe we're not at home when some of them call? Poor Butterfly ADY WILHELMINA WOOSHINGWELL adjusted a stray lock of Her long lashes swept the room impatiently. Would he never come? How dared he keep her She seethed with re- sentment. It seemed she must go mad! Ah! At last it was he, and indeed he looked grand as he stood there. How dared he stop to talk to those other people? How could he treat her so? It was hell. Hurt tears welled in her eyes. She would go. She rose magnificently, wrap- ping her wrap about her. As she glided past him she hissed into his ear, “Darn you, waiter, where’s that slice of prune pie I ordered an hour ago?” John H. Prosser. L hair. waiting? comicbooks.com