Life, 1927-06-23 · page 17 of 38
Life — June 23, 1927 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several satirical pieces targeting American commercial culture and consumer behavior. The top illustration mocks Lindbergh and Chamberlain aviation achievements by listing exaggerated company credit lines ("American Beautiful Take-Off Co.," "American Engine Working Perfectly Co."), satirizing how businesses exploit famous accomplishments for advertising. The "Nowadays" dialogue jokes about modern consumerism—a fiancé buying furniture on credit, planning a one-room apartment with expensive equipment (bed-room suite, dining-room set, piano), capturing early 20th-century anxiety about installment buying and marital expectations. The bottom cartoon shows a motorist and officer discussing commutation tickets, likely satirizing emerging automobile culture and urban congestion. The page overall critiques commercial exploitation of achievements and modern consumer debt culture.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life Air by Smith; Ocean by Jones FTER reading the advertisements of firms whose products, according to their own admissions, con- tributed greatly to the success of the Lindbergh and Chamberlin flights, we figure that the credit lines in these remarkable undertakings should read as follows: Beavutirur Taxe-Orr American Beautiful Take-Off Co. Fine Weatuer to Newrounptanp American Fine Weather to Newfoundland Co. Frew Hien Over Steet American Flew High Over Sleet Co. Stautina Irisu Coast American Sighting Irish Coast Co. Enotne Workine Perrectiy American Engine Working Perfectly Co. Hating Mauretania «American Hailing Mauretania Co. Wett, Here We Arr American Well Here We Are Co. Entuvstastic Reception American Enthusiastic Reception Co. Rervecep at Eistepen American Refueled at Eisleben Co. Movest Heroes American Modest Heroes Co. Sept ix Herrick’s Pasamas “LONG-DISTANCE CALL, SIR—PARTY WON'T WAIT. american Slept in Herrick’s Pajamas Co. Nearina Beriin Nowadays American Nearing Berlin Co. Captain Cuarces Linpserci American Captain Charles Lindbergh Co. Crarence D. Cuampertin American Clarence D. Chamberlin Co. An Answer N old-fashioned ink-well. Life, love and laughter in the heart of a reformer, Something that cannot be taught by cor- respondence, A sentimental Day, cele- bration or institution that is not commercial- ized. A modern home without a stand- ing lamp. Mencken furiously mending socks at a garden party given by the Third M. E. Church. A week that does not give birth to a new magazine. Domestic har- mony in a Glyn movie. Five children in a Fifth Avenue fami A business man who voted the ticket straight so that business would be good and who now admits that it is....All of which is merely a partial re- sponse to the demand of the poet: “What is so rare as a day in June?” The Ultimate Advertisement * HAT kind of tires do you use?” “Really, dear boy, it’s been so long since I put them on, I forget.” ILLIS: I hear you are going to be marricd. Gitus: Yes, I'm on my way downtown now to buy the furniture. I've got to get some kitchenette equipment, a bed-room suite, a dining-room set, some living-room furniture and a piano. Wits: How many rooms are you going to have? Gituis: One. “THIS 18 THE THOID TIME FOR YOU THIS MONTH, YOUNG FELLER—WE SHOULD HAVE COMMUTATION TICKETS FOR YOUR KIND.” comicbooks.com