Life, 1888-01-19 · page 12 of 16
Life — January 19, 1888 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Discouraging Art" Page Analysis This page contains three satirical pieces from *Life* magazine: **"The Art Idea"** (top left): A pill manufacturer tries to buy an artist's painting, offering to replace the angel harp with an advertisement for his liver cure—mocking both commercial exploitation of art and quack medicine advertising. **"Missed His Bearings"**: A brief joke where a stranger compliments Philadelphia's activity, only to learn he's actually in Camden—likely referencing Camden's lesser significance or reputation at the time. **"A Hint to the Apostles of Anti-Poverty"** (main text): Satirizes wealthy "apostles" promoting land-tax reform while a bankrupt financier appears, blaming "Wind and Water" (speculation and stock market manipulation) rather than land issues. The piece mocks reformers as hypocritical while identifying financial speculation as the real cause of poverty. The right-side illustrations labeled "Discouraging Art" appear to show rural/pastoral scenes, likely contrasting with the commercial exploitation depicted in the main cartoon.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Pill Manufacturer: VAAKE TAKING THAT HARP OUT OF HER HAND AND P INSTEAD, SO THAT I CAN USE THE PICTURE AS AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR MY T MINUTE LIVER CURE, I'LL TAKE IT AT YOUR OWN FIGURE! MISSED HIS BEARINGS. TRANGER (¢o Cétézen): Why, Philadelphia ain't such a dull place after all. There seems to be lots going on! CITIZEN: You've missed your bearings, stranger. This ain’t Philadel- phia, it’s Camden. R eMoRs that the threatening war-cloud in Europe is passing away is causing grave uneasiness among newspaper proprietors. LA HINT TO THE APOSTLES OF ANTI- POVERTY. The Two Great American Apostles of Wealth were seated in their study, buried in profound thought. They meditated on the good time coming, when every man should have three acres and a cow, and they, as befitted the Saviors of Society, should possess all that was left. It was so still that you could have heard the sighs of the millions who groan under the Iron Hand of Monopoly, if those interesting persons had possessed any other than paper voices. They raised their eyes. Before them stood a meek and rather seedy-looking Figure, in whose eyes yet shone the light of a Great Discovery. “What are you ?" queried the apostles with one voice. “Man I was once,” said the Figure, ‘‘but now I am only the hide of a Busted Bubble. Iam a retired Young Napoleon of Finance. I heard you were in the abolish- ing line, If you want to abolish poverty, I can give you a pointer.” “Speak,” said the Sage. “Well, then,” continued the Figure, ‘just throw your Land-Tax Theory overboard, and put in some big work to tax Wind and Water out of existence. The Land’s all right, Labor's all right. It's the Wind that you cranks are pumping off, and the Water that some folks have squirted into stocks that has knocked everything the wrong way. Just begin an Anti-Wind-and-Water Society, and see what crowds will follow you. Water broke me, and Wind will yet burst you.” And he vanished. G. E. Hanson, DISCOURAGING ART. comicbooks.com