Life, 1887-08-04 · page 1 of 14
Life — August 4, 1887 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Ambiguous" - Life Magazine, August 4, 1887 This cartoon satirizes a European nobleman's ambivalent response to America. The caption reads: "And how did you like America, Count?" / "Ah! ze longer I stay away, ze better I like it." The joke is a play on words—the Count claims to appreciate America more the *further* he is from it, meaning he didn't actually enjoy visiting. It's a backhanded compliment mocking both the Count's snobbish European pretensions and, implicitly, suggesting America has undesirable qualities that make distance preferable. The elaborate decorative border features various allegorical figures typical of Life's Victorian aesthetic. The cartoon reflects 1880s American attitudes toward European aristocracy and their perceived disdain for American society.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
fis NEW YORK, AUGUST 4, 1887. ~ Entered at New Vork Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. 3 Copyright, 1887, by Mrrewmt & Mruizr. potica Ns ge sv. C) 3, Pai he Ten Cents > be “Copy & 7 | | 3 | r of » AMBIGUOUS. es. “AND HOW DID YoU LIke America, Count?” | “ANE Ze LONGER I STAY AWAY, ZE BETTER I LIKE 17.” | iH y comicbooks.com