Life, 1927-10-20 · page 17 of 48
Life — October 20, 1927 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains humorous observations about 1920s American culture. The main article describes collecting souvenirs during a Los Angeles trip, with the author planning to create a "My Conscience Collection" of religious objects and signs encountered. The top cartoon satirizes extreme religious fervor—depicting someone suspended by pulleys surrounded by bottles and religious paraphernalia, attempting to set a flagpole-sitting record while maintaining piety. This mocks the 1920s fad of flagpole sitting (endurance stunts) and the era's simultaneous obsession with public religiosity. The lower cartoon shows an Eskimo and aviator in a humorous exchange about borrowing a dog-sled, satirizing the collision between modern aviation technology and traditional Arctic life. The "More Nubbville Sparks" section offers brief local satirical notes about car troubles and petty social situations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Scaring the Hell Out of T hem Hs winter I expect to be the center of many envious eyes, for I have returned from a motor trip to Los Angeles with the most un- usual array of souvenirs in captiv Let others who have made a similar trip boast of their Indian pottery, Navajo blankets, abalone _ shells, and autographed pictures of Greta Garbo. I shall not be jealous. My Conscience Collection, as I have labeled it, stands alone. I conceived the idea of making this collection while driving over one of the highest and most tortuous of the mountain passes. At some previ- ous date a religious fanatic with a nt for sign-painting had in- at intervals upon the moun- tain-side such legends as: ARE YOU PREPARED TO MEET YOUR GOD? and: HOW WILL YOU SPEND ETERNITY? uncomfortable questions ga person whose life de- Deucedl. ta be ask pended upon the unknown strength of a brake rod, and who would go hurtling down two thousand feet to the bottom of a rocky canyon should a steering arm break. As I threaded my car down the steep incline, I saw a silver liquor flask being thrown into the canyon from the sporty little roadster up ahead. This made me wonder how many people “got re- THE PLAGPOLE SITTER WHO, HOPING TING THIRTY DAYS, 18 HAVING TO BREAK THE HIMSELP WORLD'S RECORD BY SIT PACED BY A DUMMY WHICH WILL SIT THIRTY-ONE DAYS. ligion” while going over the pass, and how many discarded their silver flasks. When I reached the bottom I parked the car and hiked back along the floor of the canyon. That afternoon I found seven decks of cards, four flasks, nine tow- els with the names of hotels upon them, several dice, and seventeen Timid Aviator: covtv 1 BORROW YOUR DOG-SLED, MISTER? Eskimo: aw, Go FLY A KITE. There must be any number of other inter found there, but esting articles to I was in a hurry. If you have nothing else to do next summer, why not and start a Conscience Collection? You can find me just before you reach that breath-taking curve near the top of the pass. I'm opening a little stand to sell Bibles and expect to do rather well. ome out Spencer A. Spencer. More Nubbville Sparks EPHYR BARMORE trol of her car yesterday lost con- drove by three bargain sales bef she could stop. Blue Laws purty hard Sundays are a few minds have hit Nubbville Only things open here Mrs. Lucifer Lowney had to pick Lucifer’s birthday 1 hurry that she’s out present in such afraid it's something he'll like Oddly en his head generally the time. gh, the feller who loses isn’t usin’ it at Les Van Every comicbooks.com