Life, 1889-12-26 · page 8 of 55
Life — December 26, 1889 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of "She's Off To-Day!" - Life Magazine This page chronicles **Sadie McGinty's journey around New York City in 80 years**—a humorous stunt by Life magazine. The cartoon shows a woman ("plucky traveler") attempting to circumnavigate New York using only conventional transportation: streetcars, subway, carriages, and ferries. The satire mocks the challenge's absurdity: traveling the entire perimeter of New York in a single day seems impossible, yet Life frames it as a daring enterprise. McGinty's outfit and determined expression suggest turn-of-the-century feminism—women undertaking audacious public feats. The accompanying map shows her proposed route, while editorial notes and telegrams document preparations. The joke lies in presenting an essentially mundane urban commute as an epic "greatest enterprise," inflating ordinary travel into mock-heroic adventure.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
360 SHE'S OFF TO-DAY! Our Greatest Enterprise. AROUND NEW YORK IN 80 YEARS! Sadie McGinty Leaves LIFE Office at 11:44. The Preparations for the Start-Chances of Success—Miss McGinty's Itinerary. MISS SADIE MCGINTY, ‘LIFE'S TRAVELER. PLUCKY Lire Orrice, Dec. 26, To Miss Sapie McGinty: 546 Vanderbilt Ave.: How long before you can be ready for trip around New York ? Ed. Lire. To Epitor Lire: wv York Ci Just as soon as I can get my skates on. S. McGinty. At precisely the time indicated in her telegram Miss McGinty arrived at the office of Lire fully ipped for her tremendous undertaking. Our know that she bard, with China silk, and overgaiters of pink + only baggage consisted of a dress-suit case containing three toothbrushes, one pint of Mdet and Chandon (white label), Lirt’s Christmas number, one quart V.S.O.P., one eight-day clock, one shotgun, one set En- cyclopeedia Britannica, and three bottles of ban- doline. Her pulse was normal and her temper- ature 106 in the shade. At about half-past eleven the entire staff of Lire gathered in front of the office prepared to wish the plucky little woman godspeed in her hazardous undertak- ing. AU precisely 11:44 she appeared at the front door, and, waving her hand in cheery adieu, broke away in great shape. As car Number 46 of the Twenty-third Street line, moving east, disappeared on the horizon beyond Broadway there was not a dry eye in the crowd except the glass one belonging to the janitor. Miss McGinty's herculean task is undertaken purely in the interest of science. No one has ever yet been daring enough to attempt the feat of completely encircling New York in a given time. Miss McGinty will use only the ordinary means of travel and will not avail herself of the special aid of hacks, hansoms, or District Tel- egraph boys. Her route will be via Twenty- third Street to Avenue B, thence northerly to Harlem, southerly to the Battery, and thence south-southeasterly to LiFe office. She will have to encounter all the dangers of subway explosions, police clubbings, overhead wires, and the influenza, There are possibilities that she may stick in the mud in Lower Broadway, but, barring accidents, our brave Sadie will re- turn to us safe, well, and in due season, At all events she will be here when she gets back. Arrangements have been perfected for hear- ing from Miss McGinty at each important point reached in her trip. Of course at this time of year it is not possible to predict with any cer- tainty how long it will take to go from one point in New York to another, but by reference to the map we have had specially designed for | this purpose it will be seen that it is only reason- | able to expect that the fourney will be made inside of the specified eighty years. Miss McGinty is a courageous girl and Lire, isa great journal. Against such a combination yap sHOWING SADIE’S PROPOSED ROUTE. neither tide nor time nor balky street- car horses can prevail. Already nu- | merous bets have been made on the result, and advertisers are climbing over each others’ shoulders. This trip is made purely in the interest of science, but our circulation last week was 2,146,942 copies. Come early and avoid the rush, 300000000 THE START. pounone a {daar raennaaoudn ty funoocanacgen(s Miss McGinty carries with her a special passport from the Police Department and letters of introduction from Me. Russell Harrison toall the crowned heads she is likely to meet. She has als a book of Messrs. Cookie’s Circular Soup Tickets. Re- member, our circulation last week was 4,942,387 COP” ies. comicbooks.com