Life, 1889-05-23 · page 3 of 20
Life — May 23, 1889 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page (Volume XIII, Number 334) **Top Cartoon:** "The Latest Agricultural News" depicts a conversation about a lemon-pit plant producing pea-vines—an absurd horticultural impossibility presented as humorous agricultural gossip among Victorian ladies and gentlemen. **"For Snobs" Section:** This is satirical etiquette advice mocking upper-class pretension. It ridicules snobbish behavior through mock-serious observations: gold's effect on blood, advice about treating inferiors with cold formality, references to the Duke of Richmond's red hair and the Duchess of Marlborough's "obscure origin," and jabs at Queen Victoria's breakfast habits. The final paragraph compares refined snobs unfavorably to animals (owls, turtles, cows) for their quiet dignity—suggesting snobs lack such natural grace. **Right illustration:** "Dressed to Kill" shows a bird in hunting attire, likely a visual pun on the phrase itself.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
K, cut rep. s my Pa. VOLUME XIII. THE LATEST AGRICULTURAL NEWS. NUMBER 334. Jack (excitedly): MAMMA, YOU KNOW THAT LEMON-PIT I PLANTED LAST YEAR THAT CAME UP A PEA-VINE? WELL, 11'S GOT STRING BEANS ON IT! FOR $NOBG. HE chemical effect of gold upon human blood is to con- vert it toarich blue. The process is sometimes slow, but none the less certain. BE true to yourself, true to all your meaner instincts, and you will surely rise in time. THE Duke of Richmond has red hair. Ir is to be hoped the Duchess of Marlborough will forget her obscure origin. Ir is impossible for you, being a snob, to have inferiors, but there is no necessity for your realizing this. Those whom you consider your inferiors it is useless to treat with any consideration. Be formally polite, but endeavor to make them realize the inseparable gulf that yawns between you. Refined snobbery can do no more, QUEEN VICTORIA does not wear spurs at breakfast. Do not laugh much or display feeling. It is bad form. Remember the owl, the turtle and the cow. Nothing can be more impressive than the quiet dignity of these creatures. “DRESSED TO KILL.” comicbooks.com