Life, 1888-07-05 · page 1 of 14
Life — July 5, 1888 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page, July 5, 1888 The main cartoon, titled "WISER THAN HE LOOKED," depicts a dialogue between two characters about regional differences. Miss Priscilla Jibb from Boston emphasizes the importance of "blood" (ancestry/breeding) in the East, while Mr. Swift from Chicago counters that the West prioritizes "blood" differently—"particularly in the spring of the year." The joke appears to satirize East-West cultural attitudes: the Boston character represents Eastern aristocratic values centered on family lineage, while the Chicago character makes a crude reference (likely to butchering/meat-packing, Chicago's major industry) to suggest practical, commercial concerns matter more in the West than genteel pedigree.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NEW YORK, JULY 5, 1888. NUMBER 288. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. Copyright, 1888, by Mircuait & MILLER. pees Ns y, SVMs WISER THAN HE LOOKED. Miss Priscilla Jitb; IN Boston, YoU KNow, MR. SWIFT, WE ATTACH MORE IMPORTANCE ‘TO BLOOD THAN YOU DO AT THE WEST. Mr. Swift (of Chicago): OH, ON THE CONTRARY, MISS J1BB, WE CONSIDER IT OF THE FIRST IMPORTANCE, /PARTICULARLY IN THE SPRING OF THE YEAR. comicbooks.com