Life — July 12, 1929 — page 25: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This illustration depicts a fashionably dressed man in patterned pants striking an exaggerated, theatrical pose on a beach while surrounded by swimming and sunbathing figures. The caption references the biblical phrase "consider the lilies of the field," inverting it to "lilies of the beach"—likely mocking the character's vain, affected posture and self-absorbed behavior in a public setting. The satire appears to target male vanity and performative fashionability at the beach. "Mr. Pipp" seems to be a character type—a dandy or show-off more concerned with displaying himself than genuine leisure. The illustration's exaggerated linework emphasizes his theatrical gesture, contrasting with the ordinary beachgoers around him, suggesting mockery of excessive male preening and attention-seeking behavior in early-to-mid 20th century American leisure culture.