Life, 1926-08-05 · page 24 of 41
Life — August 5, 1926 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes **Prohibition and its unintended consequences** in 1920s New York. The main article mocks New Yorkers' enthusiasm for illegal speakeasies—hidden basement bars accessed through mysterious rituals (ringing doorbells, secret entrances). The author humorously notes that country visitors find the illicit thrill more appealing than the actual liquor, which is no better than legal alternatives but costs more. The cartoon vignettes mock social pretension and human folly: "The Cat's Comeback" jokes about meeting women at raided nightclubs; "En Route" lists food stops; "The Heart of a Clown" depicts party-goers; "Flor de Habana" jokes about tobacco ripening; "Hanging Committee" mocks social climbers; and "Field and Stream" confuses a famous baseball player with a salmon catch. The satire targets both Prohibition's failure and the era's obsession with fashionable vice and status-seeking.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life The Cat's Comeback “THAT's FRANK'S WIFE. HE MET It \ NIGHT CLUB, “Tie pip? We ovGUT TO HWAVISZUAT PLACE RAIDED.” En Route Willie's Bill of Fare ANDAL Fosville .. Glen Lake ... Mound City Parker .... Vine Hill .. Lakevie Home -One Banana ++Ice Cream Cone . Hot Dog . -Ham Sandwich .-Chocolate Bar . Orange and Apple - Hot Dog .- Pop and Peanuts “I'm hungry, Mother!” DT Ceol shah The Heart of a Clown This Delicious Mystery CAN'T understand why the New York boys are op- posed to Prohibition. Observing the pleasure th get out of leading their country visitors down dark areaways, ringing doorbells at grilled basement en- trances, and ‘be ing recognized by mysterious persons who peep out at them, I cannot imagine why they should want to go back to ordinary public and legal barrooms. yay they can knowing — the So far as the country visitors can tell, the liquor sold in these concealed and exclusive din- ner places is just about as good as one gets in the in- terior cities without any of the mystery. It is a little more expensive, of course, but as the relative or friend usually claims the’ check after a slight struggle it docs not cost the New York boy much. McC. H. Florde Habana HE botanist showed the young girl a tobacco plant in bloom. “How _ interest- ing,’ saidshe. “DARN IT, THERE GOES THE M\- “And when are the cuine, NOW HoW’LL 1 EVER GET cigars ripe?” pown ?” Hanging Committee AGATHA: Laura is getting terribly high-hat, my dear. She had her hair permanently waved and then had her portrait done. Harnett: Her family in the National Gallery. Acatua: Yes, and her friends say it reminds them of pictures in the National Geographic. it reminds them of pictures Field and Stream “I HAVE just been reading in the paper,” observed the outdoor man, “about the wonderful catches of salmon in the Northwest.” “Yeh,” said the city sportsman, “I suppose some big league club will sign’ him up.” comicbooks.com