Life, 1890-05-15 · page 5 of 18
Life — May 15, 1890 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 281 This page contains several satirical pieces typical of early Life magazine: 1. **"A Good Author"**: A dialogue mocking a political orator from an 1880 Western New York campaign who pompously invokes divine creation while discussing tariff reform. The joke questions whether such rhetorical grandstanding qualifies as good authorship. 2. **"Boys of '76"**: A lighthearted sketch of children playing, referencing Revolutionary War imagery. 3. **Metropolitan Museum critique**: Text sardonically sympathizes with museum trustees forced to endure crowds enjoying outdoor music on Sundays—treating public enjoyment as an affront. 4. **"Beauty Fires the Blood"**: An illustrated caption about romantic attraction. 5. **Jay Gould reference**: A joke about the wealthy industrialist entertaining an angel unknowingly. The page exemplifies Life's satirical approach to American social pretension, politics, and wealth.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Boys oF °76, A GOOD AUTHOR. © you account him one of your good authors ? “ Morally, yes. From a literary standpoint he is not in it.” T was in the campaign of ‘89, in Western New York. The orator stalked forth. “* My subject, fellow citizens,” he said, “is tariff reform; but before I begin, let me impress upon you, let me fix firmly in your minds, that, ‘in the beginning the Lord made heaven and earth.” Yes, fellow citizens, the Lord made heaven and earth. I say this now, once again, for to- Householder (to suspicious character): MAT 1 YOU WANT? morrow night our Republican friends are coming Suspicious character (thoughtfully): WeLL, 1 DUNNO; WHAT VER GOT? to speak here to you—and they will try hard to prove that it was the Protective Tariff. ANY of the readers of L1FE can, we believe, S the kid observed : “Call me early, mother, bear with composure the sight of other peo- ple’s joy. For such readers it will be impos- sible to realize the agony of the trustees of the Metropolitan Museum, as they gaze upon the cheerful crowds who stroll about the Park upon a Sunday, listening, in sinful happiness, to the out-of-door music. The very doors of the museum, although securely barred and bolted against the longing public, must feel a thrill of pious horror at finding themselves in the midst of this hideous recreation. a“ I HEAR Jay Gould entertained an angel unawares, the other day.” “Lucky for the angel. If Gould had known who it was, he'd have absorbed his crown and harp.” Beauty FIRES THE BLOop. comicbooks.com