Life, 1929-03-15 · page 25 of 44
Life — March 15, 1929 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes 1920s New York high society and nightlife during Prohibition. The main illustration depicts an upscale gathering at the "New Amsterdam" venue, mocking the wealthy elite ("topnotchers") who frequented fashionable establishments while paying inflated prices. The text references the "Lucky Chance Saloon" in the Roaring Forties—a speakeasy where drinks cost nothing or exorbitant amounts, featuring slot machines and dice games. This mocks Prohibition-era illegal drinking culture. The beverage section advertises liquor brands like Warnink's Advocat and "Virginia Dare Homemade champagne," satirizing how wealthy New Yorkers openly consumed alcohol despite the legal ban. The opening "Glad Rag Doll" lyric mockingly quotes popular song lyrics about disposable romantic relationships. Overall, the page lambastes New York's wealthy class for their conspicuous consumption, moral hypocrisy regarding Prohibition, and shallow social values during the Jazz Age.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
New York Life RST Ree WIR ys Mr. Ziegfe i, pic Lyric HE Poorlitzer prize for the coup- let of the season hereby goes to he writer who wrote that touching allad “Glad Rag Doll.” ... You're just a pretty toy that men | love to play with, ou're not the kind they choose to grow old and gray with” The Topography of New York The Top of the Morning atop the New Amsterdam with the topnotchers and top prices. s Urbanized, Whitemanized. Morganized Midnite Frolic, to say nothing of M. Chevalier. I if Ys S Here's Luck! HE Lucky Chance Saloon is in the Roaring Forties... drinks here may cost you nothing or a lot of money ... usually the latter... at each end of a wild-western looking bar there are half dollar “fruit” machines ++. three pears in a row give you twelve slugs, cach one good for a li- bation... if you prefer you may shake dice with any of the three bar- tenders for the drinks... if you are lucky you will wake up with a terrible head the next morning! Around The Town With Rod and Gun HE newest wrinkle in beverages is called Warnink’s Advocat .. . it is a yellowish substance made up of milk and eggs and contains eighteen per cent alcohol . . . it adds that distinct touch to the cocktails . . . and speak- ing af beverages have you tried Vir- ginia Dare Homemade champagne? ++. great stuff... twenty floors of the new Waldorf skyscraper have been reserved for offices for out-of-town visitors... you can rent an office with complete equipment just as you would a hotel room. comicbooks.com