Life, 1888-11-22 · page 12 of 14
Life — November 22, 1888 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page 294: Social Satire and Humor This page contains several brief comedic sketches typical of *Life* magazine's satirical style: **"Polyglot"** is a romantic poem mixing multiple languages (French, German, Latin, Italian) where a lovesick suitor pleads with "Belle Marie," only to discover she's already married—a joke about overwrought multilingual sentimentality. **The theatrical sketches** mock social pretension: one woman asks to borrow a hat for a stage role requiring the wearer to "look as absurd as possible"; another jokes that a "theatre party" at Palmer's Theatre isn't actually socializing—they're watching the play (implying theater attendance was often about being seen rather than engaging with the performance). **The impressionist exhibition joke** satirizes modernist art's distortions: a woman's portrait rendered in "pea-green" with "violet hair" is unrecognizable from the actual "pretty brunette." **Minor jokes** target club life and fashion, including a Yiddish-accented tailor defending long winter sleeves as the latest style. The overall tone mocks contemporary social affectation, artistic pretension, and fashion absurdity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
POLYGLOT. BELLE Marie, Charmante aussi, If thou couldst see My love parfait, Oh, wouldst thou, say, ' Gleichgultig be? Formosa tu, Ich bin so blue, So schwach and sad; One smile I know, Ex animo, Would make me glad. Puella fine, One kiss of thine Would so delight Thy slave soumis, ‘Twould dwell with me Far ewigkeit. Mais donc en tout, So kalt bist du, Most frigid she. Mehercle! Is't so? Then say it slow, Thou'rt married? Oui? Nathan M. Levy. Mfrs, Bo: MY peaR Mrs, S., WOULD YOU KINDLY LEND ME YOUR HAT FOR THE PLAY? Mrs, S. (highly flattered); CERTAINLY, WITH PLEASURE, WHAT KIND OF A PART 18 1T? Mrs. Bo: OU, IT 1S ONE OF THOSE PARTS WHERE ONE WISHES TO LOOK AS ABSURD AS POSSIRLE—DON'T YoU KNOW? INFALLIBLE INDICATIONS, AT PALMER'S (ANCIENT WALLACK'S). S =: That is quite a large theatre party in front of us, love. ~~ He: But it is no theatre party, my dear. They are not all jabber- ing. They are watching the play. A SEA CHANGE, AT AN IMPRESSIONIST EXHIBITION, && H¢vE you seen the portrait of Mrs. X?” “The pretty brunette, do you mean?” “Well—er—yes. But here she is a beautiful pea-green, with violet hair and pink eyes.” AT THE PHILADELPHIA CLUB. EARY VISITOR (drowsy): Considering how quiet you are here during the week, old man, I wonder what-you do with yourselves on Sunday ? F Native (brightening at the thought): Spend them in New York. “DOESN'T IT SEEM TO YOU, MOSES, THAT THESE SLEEVES ARE TOO LONG?” « “MEIN GOOTNESS, FRIEND! DOT VAS DE LATEST STYLE! VINTER VAS COMING ON, UND DE GREAT SECRET OF COMFORT VAS IN KEEPING YOUR WRISTS A “Raw "-HipE—Court-plaster, Wars 1" FASHIONS FOR WINTER. A SHAMROCK—The Paste Diamond. comicbooks.com