Life, 1885-03-26 · page 1 of 16
Life — March 26, 1885 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Whitelaw's Curse" - Life Magazine, March 26, 1882 This cartoon satirizes a conflict between two figures identified in the dialogue as **Tri-Buncthorne** and **Governor Cleveland**. The image shows a man on his knees before a standing woman in a dramatic pose. The caption references Tri-Buncthorne threatening to curse Cleveland if he's "thwarted," to which Cleveland responds he'd never do what Tri-Buncthorne demands. The setup appears to parody theatrical melodrama—specifically referencing Gilbert and Sullivan's "Patience" (which featured a character named Bunthorne), treating a political dispute as overwrought theatrical performance. Without additional historical context, the specific political disagreement remains **unclear**, though it likely involved Governor **Grover Cleveland** of New York and some contemporary political controversy of 1882.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME V. NEW YORK, MARCH 26, 1885. Entered at New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. iT réey BY SJAMITEHELL THE WHITELAW'S CURSE. Tri-Bunethorne: TAKE CARE. WHEN I AM THWARTED I AM VERY TERRIBLE. SuUPPOSE—I WON'T GO SO FAR AS TO SAY THAT I WILL DO IT—BUT SUPPOSE, FOR ONE MOMENT, I WERE TO CURSE you! Grosvenor Cleveland: BUT SURELY YOU WOULD NEVER DO THAT! (Throws himself at Tri-Bunethorne's knees and clings to him.) comicbooks.com