Life, 1928-12-28 · page 12 of 37
Life — December 28, 1928 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top section depicts **Egyptian pyramid construction**, humorously suggesting the enormous scale and labor involved. The text parodies pseudo-scientific explanations for how ancient builders accomplished such feats, mocking the era's tendency to overestimate or misunderstand historical engineering. The middle cartoon titled **"The Low-Down on the Pyramid Racket"** satirizes this further, treating pyramid-building as a commercial scheme or con. The **"Beauty Shoppe"** cartoon shows a woman entering a beauty salon, with the caption "It's no use, Bill, the age of miracles is past"—mocking the impossibility of cosmetic transformation, likely referencing advertisements' exaggerated claims about beauty treatments. The final illustration, **"First Aid,"** depicts John Davey dressing a Christmas tree, presenting an absurd visual pun on tree surgery or care. Overall, the page combines historical and contemporary satire targeting pseudo-science and consumer culture claims.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
took a not- ion for huts or pyramids, teepees or stys he agged across to his Bungalow Boss and tattled his new <= enterprise:"Now, Mister Bah- Gee,’ for instance says he, be- ea hesting @ new pyramid,”You'll kind- ly inform us how large and enormous S, you think you can make it, old kid.” “Your Royal Pomposity, such curiosity star- OO! eles me almost to fits, since building enor- mity goes in conformity with what the builder man fits. With a specified number of brickbats and lumber I'll build one about to your eyes but, Your Highness Imperial, twice that material means! can double the size.” Then the doer of deeds took a hitch at his tweeds and stanted a wink at the Queen and he sput- tered to Tut of a peach of a cut ino perfectly trig magazine: “Your Joblots Majestic, no chateau domestic could interest a na- bob like you but see what the printer's supplied for your squinters to leer and luxuriate through! Now, Muck-a-Muck Kingly, considering [A] singly the verious idees Ive got, here's one that is classy, styled |Z\| ‘Tripe Demi Tassy’—but Ut. take your pick of the lot. Here’s one tricked e3 with gables (that room could be‘Mabel's) and look at those mission bell towers! ovr This one is rococo. Here's one just as loco, with appliqued jiblets and flowers? RS “Bah-Gee, you old coot, these messes don't suit, they're over-bedizened and sweet. Your taste is Centennial, I seek the perennial, so make it not gaudy but neat.” ”’Tis well, old Big Leaguer! Your Majesty's eager to have it as simple a rain, so, you be the Doctor and I the Concoctor."s+++++eeseeeseeeee Our photograph shows it was plain., Tue Low-Down on THE Pyramip Racket “It’s no use, Bill, the age of miracles is past.” | “You know, Bill, little did I think, when I learned to write, that it would come in handy some day.” First Aro John Davey, the tree surgeon, dresses the Christ- mas Tree. comicbooks.com