Life, 1887-12-22 · page 3 of 18
Life — December 22, 1887 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 357 This page contains three distinct satirical pieces: **"At the Museum"** mocks affected upper-class women displaying pretentious cultural knowledge at art exhibitions, a common target of 1880s-90s satire about conspicuous consumption and false sophistication. **"A Birthday Rhyme"** celebrates turning 21 as life's opening chapter, presenting a sentimental verse about youth and opportunity. **"A Coarse Baptist"** satirizes a reverend who complained about Life's "lewd" title-page illustrations as indecent. The editors defend their artistic choices while mockingly suggesting the reverend's objections reveal his own unseemly imagination. This appears to reference Rev. Dr. W.F. Taylor, mentioned as a "close competitor" in moral sensitivity—part of broader 1880s-90s debates over acceptable content in popular magazines. The humor derives from attacking religious censorship as prudish hypocrisy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AT THE MUSEUM. Mrs, N- ¢ My DEAR, I WISH YOU TO OBSERVE THIS BEAUTIFUL STATUE oF APOLLO; AND THIS IS HIS WIFE, APOLINARIS. A BIRTHDAY RHYME. NE-AND-TWENTY years may seem an age To you; to me they're but the opening page Of a fair life. Who cannot read the tale From that one page? Good fortune will not fail Her who, at one-and-twenty, wins all hearts And doesn’t know it — very art of arts! A COARSE BAPTIST. CERTAIN reverend gentleman, at the recent conference of Baptist ministers, advised Mr. Anthony Comstock to pro- ceed against this journal for the indecency of its cover, and said, “Those dancing figures on the title-page of Lire are lewd pictures, and they suggest lewd thoughts.” Now, this is a confession that reflects rather seriously upon our reverend friend. We have been laboring under the impression that Mr. Anthony Comstock possessed the nastiest mind in New York, but for imaginative licentiousness, so to speak, the Kev. Dr. W. F. Taylor is a close competitor. If the title-page of this journal suggests such a wealth of lewdness to this gentleman's most receptive mind, he had better change his diet or subscribe to some other periodical” As for the high priest of suggestion, Mr. Anthony Comstock, we are ready for his “ pro- ceeding " at any time he may select, and shall enjoy nothing better than a larger share of his attention. If we fail to stir this gentleman up a little when the ball begins, or to strike one or two square blows for art and honest decency, we promise to get some trousers for the “lewd figures” that decorate our cover. These men do much to make a thing indecent when once they open the sluice- ways of their minds upon it. HER FIRST CAKE, SO TERE AR OTR comicbooks.com