Life, 1890-02-27 · page 12 of 18
Life — February 27, 1890 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Satire Explained This page contains three separate satirical pieces: **"Mistaken Eyeidentity"** is a visual pun: a man asks to examine a woman's umbrella, claiming he lost his eyeball. Her sharp reply—those eyes have been there "all morning"—implies they're decorative umbrella ornaments, not actual eyes, creating absurdist humor. **The Chicago dialogue** jokes about infidelity: one boy brags about a new baby while another boasts his father has been the same for six months, suggesting the latter's mother has a long-term affair. **The main political article** criticizes Thomas C. Platt (a New York Republican politician) for allegedly manipulating the World's Fair location away from New York for partisan gain. The text condemns New York's governance, caught between Republican control in Albany and Tammany Hall (Democratic machine) controlling City Hall—leaving ordinary New Yorkers powerless, "between the devil and the deep sea." The final panel appears unrelated wordplay about reading and playing music.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SCENE, CHICAGO. Tommy Wilkins: WE'VE GOT A NEW BABY. Johnnie Seymore: OW! THat’s NOTHIN’, I'VE HAD THE SAME FATHER FOR SIX MONTHS, MISTAKEN EYEDENTITY. He: EXCuSe ME, MADAM, I'VE JUST LOST MY EYEBALL, May I Ex- AMINE THOSE ON YOUK UMBRELLA? She (haughtily): 1 THINK YOU ARE MISTAKEN, SIR; THOSE HAVE BEEN ON ALL MORNING. A’ present writing it looks much as though Thomas Mez Platt, aided by his cohort of rural legisla- tors, might juggle the World's Fair away from New York, Whether New York really wants the Fair or not, does not enter into the question of Mr. : gts Platt’s present nefariousness, Party \, politics have given New York dirty f{_-__ streets, a corrupt police system, and a «J number of other evils incident to being ruled by a party for a party's benefit. Whether the metropolis of America is to be ruled by a dictator is the present point at issue; but, unfort- unately, New York doesn’t seem to have much voice in the matter, With the Republicans in control at Albany and Tammany in possession of the City Hall, poor New York is decidedly between Sam: Can You READ THAT, DENNIS? the devil and the deep sea. Dennis: No! But I COULD PLAY IT ON ME PHLUTE. comicbooks.com