Life, 1887-06-16 · page 1 of 16
Life — June 16, 1887 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine, June 16, 1887 This page features a satirical cartoon titled "To Whom It May Concern." The circular illustration shows a winged, eagle-like creature labeled "Britannia" confronting a small human figure. The creature clutches documents and appears aggressive or threatening. The accompanying text reads: "Life: Oh, come off that rotten branch! It will be down with you before you know it, and if you must have a jubilee here's something that will suit your voice much better." The cartoon likely satirizes British imperial power and possibly tensions between the U.S. and Britain. The "jubilee" reference suggests Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee (1887). The rotten branch metaphor implies British power is weakening or unstable. The overall message appears to warn Britain against overreach or threaten American resistance to British dominance.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NEW YORK, JUNE 16, 1887. - | NUMBER 233, Entered at New York Post (Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. Copyright, 1887, by Mircuett & Minter. i) is) > q hi i F.) o 9 8 3 3 Fy 3 a 9° \ i) 3 a 5 a ° a g NS 3 Fr) S > a g Fi F i} ey S 4 3 3 2! ES @ ° 3 3 Si o e A) 2 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN. Life: OH, COME OFF THAT ROTTEN BRANCH! IT WILL’RE DOWN WITH YOU BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, AND IF YOU MUST HAVE A JUBILEE HERE’S SOMETHING THAT WILL SUIT YOUR VOICE MUCH BETTER. comicbooks.com