Life, 1927-10-20 · page 26 of 48
Life — October 20, 1927 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is from Life magazine's theater review section. The main cartoon at the bottom depicts two men outside Boston's Public Library (identifiable by the classical building architecture). One man, labeled "Bostonian," is explaining the library to a "Visitor." The joke's punchline reads: "AND THIS IS OUR FAMOUS PUBLIC LIBRARY. Visitor: WHAT ARE THEY USING IT FOR NOW?" The satire mocks Bostonians for apparently no longer using their prestigious public library for its intended purpose—reading and borrowing books. The cartoon suggests the library has been repurposed for something else entirely, though the specific alternative use isn't stated. This likely reflects 1920s anxieties about declining literacy, changing leisure habits, or the library being converted to other community uses. The humor derives from the visitor's naive question exposing what locals take for granted: their famous institution is no longer functioning as designed.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
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