Life, 1887-09-01 · page 1 of 16
Life — September 1, 1887 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Unintentional" Cartoon Analysis This single-panel cartoon satirizes class pretension and social climbing. The sketch shows a well-dressed man (Mr. Puffer, described as having recently "struck it rich") announcing to his family his plan to purchase a coachman's livery—a servant's uniform. His son responds enthusiastically, saying he'd "like it very much" because it would "distinguish me from de rest of de family." The joke hinges on unintended irony: rather than elevating the family's status, acquiring servants' uniforms would actually mark them as servants, not gentlemen. The son's response is deliberately malapropian (note the dropped 'd's), suggesting the family's pretensions exceed their actual breeding or education. The satire mocks nouveau riche attempts at social respectability through superficial displays of wealth.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
/ VOLUME X. NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 1, 1887. NUMBER 244. Entered at New Vork Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter Copyright, 1887, by Mrrorai: & Mnuar. ee RICAN go sum. K) UNINTENTIONAL. Mr. Puffer (who has recently “ struck it rich”): Pete, 1 aM GOING TO GET YOU A COACHMAN'S. LIVERY; WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT? Pete (who has been “hired man” for years): YS, SAH, | WOULD LIKE IT VERY MUCH, SAH, IT WOULD DISTINGUISH ME FROM DE REST OF DE FAMBLY, SAH. comicbooks.com