Life, 1889-06-20 · page 17 of 18
Life — June 20, 1889 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This four-panel comic strip depicts urban street life beneath New York's elevated railway infrastructure. The sequence shows a man being progressively soaked by water dripping from above—likely rainwater accumulating on the iron structure—until he's thoroughly drenched in the final panel. The satire targets the practical inconveniences of the elevated railway system, which was a modern marvel but created real problems for pedestrians below. The "elevated" (the El) was still relatively new infrastructure in the 1880s-90s when *Life* was published. The joke captures middle-class frustration with this new technology: it's impressive but actively makes street life worse for ordinary people trying to navigate the city. The humor is straightforward slapstick—the escalating misfortune—but the underlying point is social commentary on urban "progress" that benefits transit riders while punishing those on the street below.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
UNDER THE ELEVATED. GEO. MATHER’S SONS RINTING INK 60 JOHN STREET, N. Y. THIS PAPER IS PRINTED WITH OUR SPECIAL + LIFE - INK. INVIGORATING ONIHS3u4au CROWN PERFUMERY co. \77 NEW BOND ST. LONDON. HIGH-GRADE ONLY. COLUMBIA Bicycles. Tandems, Tricycles, Safeties. SOLD EVERY WHERE — Made of 3 seasoned and pai a screws being used for setting up are sent w Are better than any for all others DECORATION Furniture CurrTains ROUX 8 co. around_ use on earth. OVERMAN WHEEL CO., Makers. BOSTON, MASS. 133 FIFTH AVE. wEw vory LIEBIC (COMPANY'S EXTRACT OF MEAT Finest and Cheapest Meat Favering $ Steck for Soups, Made Dishes and Sauces. As Beef “an invaluable tanic and an agreeable stimulant. Aaa sale, 8,000,000 ars. Catalog Free. BLAIR’ S CAMERAS Joding styles and patterns to meet the require- nents of the mast fastidious THE BLAIR CAMERA COMPANY Manufacturers of A Large Assortment of “Hawkeye” Cameras in stock; all styles. THE BLAIR CAMERA CO., $18 Arch St., Phila, 208 State St., Chicago. 5,477 Tremont St., Boston (Factory) amuel Fry & Co. Lim'd, London, Eng. Oscar Foss. San Francisco, California HOTEL BRESLIN LAKE HOPATCONG, N. '.200 FEET ABOVE TIDEWATER. NO MOSQUITOES. NO MALARIA. FINE BASS FISHING. Genuine only with fac-nimile of Juste Liebig's signature in blue across Iabel, ‘ by Storekeepers, Grocers and Druggi LIEBIG'S EXTRACT OF MEAT COs Ld, London Rapie and convenient train service. WR. Fifty miles from New York on matin line of D., Le & Will open for season of 1889, SATURDAY, JUNE (5. For information, address GEO, M. BROCKWAY, Manager, GILSEY HOUSE. TTTATTD aw +eQQrn ncenewe aconen es, GRAND RAPIDS PORTABLE HOUSE CO. np-Meeting Cottages, leries, Law; nen, ete. ete. able, and The fastenings ickly pot togethes stamp for cata NORMAN BARBOUR, Eastern Agent, 81 New Street, New York. HOTEL KAATERSKILL, CATSKILL MOUNTAINS, N.Y. OPENS JUNE 25. RATES REDUCED. A $2! Call or ation fore Sese NONE NIGER Ea the Rigd Court af Justice —Gownett¢. Durrant 00 Jan. 28 Justice Caltty franted « Perpetual Injunction with costa ng Mz. George lieynoids Durrant from infringine Messrs Sonn Gounell & Oo.s Kegulcred Trede Mart CHEMRY BLOS6OM. NIIMRER 220.