Life, 1926-09-02 · page 30 of 41
Life — September 2, 1926 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a collection of brief humorous anecdotes and cartoons typical of 1920s satirical magazines. Key themes: **Prohibition humor**: A New Orleans man asks for a lemonade once outside the twelve-mile limit—mocking the absurdity of Prohibition laws that Americans circumvented by traveling offshore. **Gender/marriage jokes**: Multiple pieces mock marital dynamics ("Don't Bother Daddy," "For His Ear") reflecting contemporary domestic tensions. **Class and labor**: A typist and nurse are portrayed as naive workers; a bootblack advertises his services with faux-prestige language. **Modernization skepticism**: "The Era of Mechanics" laments that technological progress hasn't brought genuine cultural advancement—a common 1920s anxiety about industrialization displacing traditional arts and craftsmanship. **International flavor**: The page reprints jokes from European sources (Paris, London, Copenhagen), reflecting Life's cosmopolitan readership. The cartoons are simple line drawings accompanying these brief, pun-heavy jokes—typical of the magazine's format.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A SUGGESTION TO JEWELERS. —Le Journal (Paris). The Story of Prohibition A rromixext New Orleans man aboard a ship leaving New York for Europe called the steward and asked: re we outside the twelve-mile limit?” The steward said they were. “Can I get anything I want—cockt: ything without viola was told that he could. hen bring me a lemonade. New Orleans States, Don't Bother Daddy Joax: Daddy, may I—? Dappy (busy): NO! . 2. may you what?—London Opinion. Tur trouble about being too good- natured is that other people list you as one of their pts, —Milicaukee Journal, “{ DIDN'T ITEAR A WORRD YE SAID, MRS, MURPHY, BUT YR'RE A T1AR!” —Sketch (London). “Aut Scissors aut Nullus” Californiana Apvertisement of an aged bootblack at Long Beach: “Have your shoes signed by a nice old man” Added inducement offered by the Tebo Restaurant at Indio: “Stove Heat on Winter > Local atmosphere in Los Angeles candy store: “Our candies are fresh every day from the studio.” cal motif on signboard of green- house: “Chrysanthemums of character.” -Spokane Spokesman-Review. Our Weekly Scotch Story A Scor was playing a round of golf with his daughter. “Maggie,” he said, “is to-day your birth¢ Weel, then, Tl gie ye this hole."—London Daily Express. Notiine recedes like success. —Collier’s. “TUE LITTLE DONKEY LOOKS RATILER BAD.” “vera. ME ISN'T PRELING VERY Ww WE ARE TAKING HIM VOR T NA _ —Le Journal Amusant (Paris). For His Ear Tne young married couple had heen quarreling, and the wife had retreated into her room, slamming the door be- hind her and maintaining an audible sniffle. After a quarter of an hour she summoned the maid and inquired: “Is my husband still in his room?” “Ye vam.” “Then sit here and ery a few minutes —I'm so tired I must take a little rest.” —Klods-Hans_ (Copenhagen). Her Best Efforts “You have a wonderful cook. She has taken such pains with everything. I could never get a cook like that.” “It's the one you discharged last week, dearic, I told her you were lunching with me to-day.” —Louisville Courier-Journal. Romance and Veracity Mr. Kirtixo says that fiction devel- oped when a man told tales about a woman, When a woman told them, of course they were simple fact.—Punch. The New Typist Senior Partner: ow worn ye we or YOU WENT OUT AND GOT A FEW onDERS? WOULD tr ue Junior Partuer: n10w Iv You pip? —Starr Wood's Annual (London), The Era of Mechanics Fasten and faster still he wheels go ‘round! Fashioned with wondrous. skill Machines abound; They bear us on our way, Strange things to view Which, after all, display Not much that's new. Where is the gentle lay Of simple grac Where is the dance so gay In courtly. pace Where is the thoughtful skill, mart, or profound? ter and faster still The wheels go ‘round! —Philander Johnson, in Washington Star. Too Many Angels “Tre new patient in Ward Bis very good-looking,” said the nurse. “Yes,” agreed the matron, “but don't wash his fa He's had that A done by four nurses this morn- & ing.” —Tit-Bits. = areven else may be ailing Mlinois, it isn't: cheap polities. —Arkansas Gazette. “, » “THAT CASTLE THERE LOOKS PRETTY OLD. “{ SHOULD SAY IT 18 PRETTY OLD, 1 IE\VE ALWAYS KNOWN 17 JUsT AS IT 18.” —Le Rire (Paris). comicbooks.com