Life, 1889-10-24 · page 1 of 18
Life — October 24, 1889 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Presence of Mind" - Life Magazine, October 24, 1889 This cartoon satirizes gender relations and courtship norms of the 1880s. The dialogue depicts a couple where the man (Mr. F.) attempts to kiss an older woman (Mrs. F.), who rejects him by claiming she's too old. He responds sarcastically that a woman her age shouldn't want kisses—suggesting that wanting romantic affection at her age is ridiculous. The humor targets Victorian-era attitudes about aging women and sexuality. The caption "Presence of Mind" ironically praises her quick comeback, though the real satire critiques the man's condescending assumptions about women's desires diminishing with age. The exchange exposes the double standards and awkward social dynamics surrounding courtship in this period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NEW YORK, OCTOBER 24, 1889. NUMBER 356. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. Copyright, 188, by Mrrcwent & Mitume. vane prehicanus gl Sum. | 4 Pam NG be Ten Cis: > Hoa 4 PRESENCE OF MIND. Mrs. F. (petulantly): You never Kiss ME Row. Mr, F.: THE IDEA OF A WOMAN OF your AGE WANTING TO HE KISSED! ONE WOULD THINK YOU WERE A GIRL OF EIGHTEEN, Mrs, F.: WHAT DO you KNOW ABOUT GIRLS OF EIGHTEEN? Mr, F.: Wy, MY DEAR, WEREN'T YOU EIGHTEEN ONCE YOURSELF ? ~ comicbooks.com