Life, 1929-04-19 · page 22 of 52
Life — April 19, 1929 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine consists of humorous short news items ("Life-Abridged") from around the world, plus one cartoon at the bottom. **The News Items** mock contemporary absurdities: a clergyman's complaint that Charlie Chaplin is too popular; a countess smoking a meerschaum pipe (considered unfeminine); pseudo-scientific claims about nose shape predicting children's sex; a man attempting suicide over hiccoughs; and dubious claims about Fijian surgeons descending from cannibals, British motorcycle endurance stunts, and—most absurdly—hens laying more eggs when given wine instead of water. **The Cartoon** features "Lucretia" as a young woman running past onlookers, declaring she's "through with Leander" because no sophomore can pass her without speaking and "get away with it"—a joke about her attractiveness and willingness to publicly confront males who ignore her. The page's humor relies on the era's fascination with oddball international news, pseudo-science, and social commentary about changing gender norms (women smoking, fashion trends set by royalty).
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LONDON—“‘It is a damning indict- ment of modern civilization that the most popular person in the English- speaking world is Charlie Chaplin,” said the Rev. E. Benson Perkins, speak- ing before the National Council of Free Churches. CANNES, France—Countess Alex- andre Festetics has been seen often this Riviera season smoking a beautifully colored meerschaum pipe while taking a stroll. LONDON—When a woman's nose is slightly crooked and inclines toward the left she is likely to become the mother of sons, but if it turns toward the right it is more possible she will bear daughters, according to Mrs. J. M. Erskine in her latest book, “Why Be Childless?” TORONTO, Ont.—Because he was unable to stop an attack of hiccoughs which started immediately after his wedding ceremony, Charles Swayze to- day kissed his wife good-bye and then drank poison, A stomach pump saved his life. SUVA, Fiji—The descendants of cannibal chiefs make fine surgeons. One grandson of a notorious cannibal chief has gained eminence in these is- lands as a surgeon and has operated successfully on many Europeans. LINAS-MONTHLERY, — France— Eight British motorcycle riders, work- ing in relays, have driven the same motorcycle continuously for twenty- three days and twenty-two nights on the race-track here. They have been running round in circles for more than 25,000 miles. Lucretia: I'm through with Leander—no sophomore can pass me without speaking and get away with it!” LONDON—The best dressed young men of London are taking up the new fashion for men recently set by the Prince of Wales in his appearance at a boxing championships finals in Queens Hall. The prince then wore, as his evening attire, a dinner jacket with soft shin and cuffs, a soft polo collar with a black bow and a gray check pullover (sweater). WIESBADEN, Germany—Twenty thousand false teeth were stolen by burglars from a dental factory here this week. ULSTER, Ireland—Colonel Woods reports that hens given only water laid twenty-seven eggs in a given period, but hens given diluted wine laid 173 eggs in the same time. comicbooks.com