Life, 1889-10-24 · page 13 of 18
Life — October 24, 1889 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page 237: Satirical Commentary This page from Life magazine (a 19th-century American humor publication) contains multiple brief comedic sketches mocking social pretension and absurdity. The main cartoon, "At Scissors at Nulls," depicts a man embarrassedly discovering that "Benjamin Perkins," whom he hoped was a famous visitor warranting newspaper coverage, is actually himself—a nobody. The joke satirizes social vanity and the human desire for recognition. Other sketches include commentary on fashion snobbery (a mother correcting her daughter's use of "pug" instead of the French "retroussé"), theater etiquette (a bald man considerate enough not to wear a hat blocking others' views), and pretension (a tramp correcting his benefactor's grammar, then refusing employment due to her "unculture"). The page also contains period advertisements for products like Packer's Tar Soap and Lundborg Perfumes, along with a notice that Life seeks back issues for purchase. The overall tone reflects Life's signature style: mocking middle-class affectation and social climbing through gentle, observational humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
» LIFE: - T SESORS AT NLL AUTUMNAL SIGNS. NOW, gutuma summer puts to rout And chilly winds to blow begin; The ice cream joke is going out, ‘The stovepipe joke is toming in, Exchange, ““'Scuse me,” he said, as he leaned across the aisle of the car, "but I presume you are reading the morning paper?” ++ Yes, sir,” replied the other. ** Published here in the city 2” “Yes, sir.” “Will you have the kindness to tell me if you have as yet come across an article headed : ‘A Distinguished Visitor to Detroit. The Hon. Benjamin Perkins in Town, Let Us do this Famous Man all Honor.” ‘No, sir, I haven’ ome oversight, probably. Much obliged.” ‘And he settled back, buttoned up his threadbare overcoat, and realized that thirteen passengers were sizing him up and wishing that fame would also come to them. —Letreit Aree Press, Packer’s Tar Soap . . Pure, bland. lathers readily, and in odor recalls the breath of balsamic wouds.”” Probably be in to-morrow. That's all. 237 ANNaneL: Mamma, I wish you would get me a little dog. 1 think it would be such good company for me. Mrs, Mushroom: What brand of dog do you wish, darling ? ANNAREL: I want a pug. Mas. MustRoost : There you go with your vulgarness again ; you must say refroussé. “Pug is horrible common,—merica. He (during the daliet): Yes, 1 think men are more considerate than women. Sue: What makes you think so? He: Well, you see that young lady in front of us? She wears a high-crowned hat, and the man behind her can't see over it. Sue: Well? He: Now see the man in front of her who is so earnestly watch- ing the pretty girl in tights ? Sue: Yes. He is so considerate of those behind him that he does not even wear his hair, let alone his hat.—Soston Budget. First CLaqueur: Why do you clap and hiss at the same time ? Ditto: You see the new actress has paid me to clap, val has paid me to hiss 1"—L'/ndustriel. “Di you saw that wood I told you about ?" asked the lady of the house of the tramp to whom she had given a dinner, Madam," he replied, and a look of contempt flitted across his tawny face, ‘1 am surprised that so gocd a cook and housewife as you should be so ungrammatical. You should say, * Did you see that wood ?? ‘Saw’ is proper only in a question referring to the perfect tense. Icannot_work for one so uncultured, for fear I should be contaminated, Ta ta2?"—Lawrence American. JOHN H. PRAY, SONS & CO, MANUFACTURERS’ AGENTS. Woodstock Carpets are presented to the public, as filling the requirements of an ARTISTIC RUG AT A MODERATE PRICE, For the Complexion Smooth, Healthful, Brilliant Skin. For Shampooing Cures Dandruff and Loss of Hair. For Skin Diseases “The most comforting and soothing soap we ever used."—Hall's Journal of Health. 25 Cents. Druggists. CELEBRATED HATS, —axp— Ladtes’ Round Hats and Bonnets And The Dunlap Silk Umbrella, 178 & 180 Fifth Avenue, bet. 2d & 23¢ Sts. and 18 Broadway, near Cortlandt St. NEW YORK. Palmer House, Chicago. Phila. $2-Agencies in all Principal Cities. Gold Medal Awarded, Paris Exposition, 1580. tg Chestnut St Luudborg, PERFUMES EDENIA and Goya Lily. WANTED: They are of English manufacture, and are woven in one piece in a great variety of The designs are largely furnished by Morris & Co., of London, and the color- ings are such as will harmonize in the pres- ent style of interior decoration. The GENUINE ENGLISH WOODSTOCKS Can be purchased only from sizes, Nos. 10 and 16, Vol. 1., of LIFE. The publishers of LIFE will pay $1.50 for every copy of Nos. 10 and 16, Vol. I., of LIFE, providing they are in good condition. JOHN H. PRAY, SONS & CO. SOLE ACENTS FOR THE U.8. Correspondence Especially Invited. ADDRESS: Publishers of LIFE, 28 West 23d Street, N. Y. 558 & 560 Washington Street Boston. 413 Worth Street, New York. New York Branch for Wholesale only. ARE YOU GOING TO CORRESPOND? You will find Every Use only the “ Whiting Standard Papers.” them to fill all the requirements of polite society. dealer in the United States can supply you with the fine cor- respondence papers made exclusively by the Whiting Paper Use no others. New York 152 Duane Street. Company, of Holyoke, Mass. Offices, 150 an comicbooks.com