Life, 1887-11-03 · page 14 of 20
Life — November 3, 1887 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a comic strip mocking **J. Cholmondeley Fitzimmons-Hicks**, who appears to be a fictional British aristocrat characterized by affected pretension and incompetence. The satire centers on his absurd attempts to wear a **monocle (single eye-glass)**, which becomes an extended physical comedy—he can't keep it in his eye, nearly blinds himself, runs it into his head, and eventually abandons the effort. The joke relies on class-based satire: the monocle was a stereotypical affectation of pompous upper-class Britons. The character's repeated failures, combined with his boastful claim that his family "never knew defeat," mock the gap between aristocratic pretension and actual incompetence. The page also includes unrelated content: a brief discussion of Shakespeare authorship theories and a poem ("Pope") about someone beaten by police, likely separate satirical pieces from the magazine's issue.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
' J. Cholmondeley purchases a single eye-glass a practice. “Ah, there I have it. haven't, either.” “Tl try my left eye, perhaj that will fit better.” * > LIFE: J. CHOLMONDELEY FITZIMMONS-HICKS AND HIS SINGLE EYE-GLASS. “Ah! Now, watch me place it in my eye ‘with grace and agility.” “Till make the thing stay if I have to hold it until it grows there.” “Eureka! But, by George! I have to keep both eyes closed to hold it there, and [ can't see to walk.” “Oh! T mustn't be so care- less of I'll drop and break the thing.” ott!!! 1 believe I've run the thing into my head.” Defeat! War! Extermina- tion! “ Perhaps I didn’t contort my face in the necessary manner.” “Look here, my friend, do you know you are fooling with a Fitzimmons-Hicks; none of whom ever knew defeat ?" ! | And J, Cholmondeley Fitzim- mons-Hicks seeks new fields of conquest. A QUESTION OF Shakespeare as in who wrote George Sand, AUTHORSHIP, R. LEW VANDERPOOLE discusses the Baconian theory in Truth. New Yorkers are not so much interested in who wrote the posthumous works of POPE. Adapted by a reveler who has been clubbed by the police. T3 LL looks yellow to the jaundiced eye,” And to the orb of varied hue, Obtained from bearing slightly fly, The outlook's very black and blue. comicbooks.com