Life — September 26, 1930 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "Hoover's Attitude Toward The Postage Stamp" This is a humorous article about postage stamp production history, not political satire. The text discusses how the Post Office Department began manufacturing stamps in 1868, and details the technical challenges of making them stick—including a failed "Pepper Mint" glue formula that led to someone being imprisoned, and issues with flypaper stamps in 1902. The accompanying cartoon illustrates the practical problem: a woman at what appears to be a stamp-manufacturing machine, with the caption warning to "take care of mother and father, mother's husband and father's wife and mother's fiancé!" The joke references children getting stamps stuck to their mouths while licking them, creating domestic chaos. This reflects genuine 1910s concerns about stamp hygiene and adhesive safety.