Life, 1926-08-26 · page 16 of 41
Life — August 26, 1926 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This illustration satirizes 1890s automobiles and gender fashion. The main cartoon shows a woman in period dress struggling with an early motorcar's acetylene headlights during windy conditions—the caption explains the comedic situation: "when the be-goggled, gauntleted, linen-dusted automobilist got down to his last match in trying to light the acetylene headlights in a high wind." The satire targets two elements: the unreliability of primitive automobile technology and how women's fashionable accessories (goggles, gauntlets, linen dusters) became necessary protective gear for early motoring. The "Gay Nineties" title references the 1890s era when automobiles were novel luxury items requiring specialized clothing and considerable technical fussiness to operate.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Gay Nineties FASHIONS OF THE DAY BECAME A FACTOR OF IMPORTANCE WHEN INTLETED, LINEN-DUSTE D AUTOMOBILIST GOT DOWN TO HIS LAST MATCH IN TRYING TO LIGHT THE ACETYLENE HEADLIGHTS IN A IIGH WIND. Impossible Conversations A Twilight Chat HEIK: By the way, did you bake cookies yesterday? Fiarrer: No, we were expecting the bishop for dinner so I helped mother with polishing the silver. Sue: I was busy, too. I took down all of Father's books and re- arranged them properly. I also put Sister’s photo album to rights, past- ing the snapshots of our vacation scenes in consecutive order. Would you like to see them? Frarrer: I should love to! Suen: Then may I call for you after dinner? Frarrer: I shall ask permission, but I must be home before midnight. Sneix: Certainly; I have to be in at that time, too. One doesn’t feel well if one carouses at all hours. Frapper: Indeed not. Well, ring South 43210, then, Sueix: I have your number writ- ten in my heart. Good-by. Frarrer: Flatterer! Good-by. James A. Sanaker. Things We Should Like to See ANEDDING that isn’t quict. A service that isn’t impressive. A party that isn’t exclusive. A_ newspaper editor who isn't fearless. A clergyman who isn’t spiritual. A politician who isn’t earnest. A sale that isn’t a bargain. “THE Bishop looks upset.” “Dorothy just referred to the commandments as the Ten Sugges- tions.” exp enit dow boo! of t whe had goir onl spo utes dint far $0, to b comicbooks.com