Life, 1929-05-03 · page 25 of 44
Life — May 3, 1929 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1920s Life magazine page satirizes the human impulse to make history and achieve fame. The "Spanish Inquisition" cartoon shows people at a costume ball dressed as historical figures—Napoleon, Cleopatra, etc.—prompting the author's mock outrage: why emulate dead celebrities when you could "make our own history"? The satire then pivots cleverly: the author argues that *actually* making history is pointless. Most historical attempts fail and are forgotten (he notes we remember Lindbergh but not failed Atlantic flyers). It's therefore wiser to "remain on the sidelines of life" than risk oblivion. The lower cartoon depicts partygoers asking for champagne at what appears to be a speakeasy—a Prohibition-era reference. The "Manna-About-Town" section lists New York gossip and entertainment, including cocktail recipes, boxing, and Jimmy Durante references, capturing 1920s social life. The overall message: ambitious people are foolish moths drawn to the flame of fame.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Spanish Inquisition ments and try to emu- late the big shots of the ages? . . . is this vica- nous urge a dim hope that history will repeat itself? . . . watching these synthetic Napo- leons and Cleopatras milling around a dance floor arouses in this re- bellious breast. an im- pulse to get up on a chair and yell “Let's get out and make our own history! Let’s give the poor saps a hundred years from now some- thing else to wear to costume balls besides Neros and Looies!” Fame But then why make history? ... what good is history anyway unless it is last week’s? . . . come to think of it, making history is rather incon- siderate .. . why do something that will irritate those poor souls of the future when they try to remember “Ish thish wheresh champagne?” New York Life what it was you did... why add your birthplace and the date of your birth to the worries of the student of 2029? . . . it were far better, for your own sake and that of your descend- ants, to remain on the sidelines of life. Moths Besides, attempting to make history is not only futile but extremely danger- ous . . . jumping into the limelight is all very well but whether you hit the mark or not you go right on down into oblivion just the same and all your time and effort has been wasted .. . we still remember Lindbergh but who of our little readers can name off the ones who attempted to fly the Adlantic and failed? . . . there, I knew I'd get back to aviation! Manna-About-Town The International Cocktail—Scotch, French and Italian Vermouth, Swedish Punch ... enough to start any war ++. The Coliseum, new boxing am- phitheatre in the Bronx . . . stay away from it . . . the bird at a house party with too much aboard who opened a window to get some fresh air—feeling much better returned to the party— next morning discovered that the win- dow he had opened also had an addi- tional storm window . . . straw hats to be considered very poor form by the w. d. men this summer . . . the wine tonic, containing twenty per cent al- cohol that you can get in any drug store ... Jimmy Durante’s new song “So 1 ups at him an’ he ups at me” « « « Georgie Olsen playing “Only One in the World” at the Richman club (How’s that, fella?) ... Katherine Zimmerman’s gag anent the audience at the opening of “Show Boat”—“Dia- mond Bracelets (with sound accom- paniment)” ...my own simile— “About as funny as one of Bide Dud- ley'’s jokes”... FREE TALKING MOVIES—Any day in front of the Palace theatre. comicbooks.com