Life, 1890-08-07 · page 10 of 16
Life — August 7, 1890 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis: Life Magazine Page 66 - "Life's Primer" This page presents educational humor for children through pun-based wordplay and visual jokes. "A Lad" and "A Ladder" are homophone jokes; "Nail-head" and "Finger-nail" play on compound words with double meanings. The main cartoon shows a man using a hammer to hit a nail—literally illustrating the nursery-rhyme dialogue about whether the man hit the nail with the hammer. Below, a pumpkin illustration teaches children that pumpkins grow on vines, not plants. The right side contains unrelated society commentary, including "Wiser Now" (about women's intellectual advancement) and "Ay, Marry" (discussing the Governor of New York as a war veteran, likely referencing Bunco Hill). This is primarily **educational satire aimed at children**, using puns and visual gags rather than political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘LIFE: LIFE’S PRIMER. A JUDICIOUS use of this book will lighten the toil of the teacher, and at the same time awaken in the pupil a desire for knowledge that will be as far reaching as it is permanent. A Lad-der. PINGER-NAIL. AQ Did the man have a nail and a ham-mer ? Voue from 57: ON, CLARA, HOW 1X THE WORLD aM I GOING TO Oh, yes; the man had a nail and a ham-mer. PUT ON MY STOCKINGS ? Did the man hit the nail with the ham-mer ? Kote JrOmish © WHY, WHATS CHE! MATTER E - aie Voice from 57: THE FLOOR 18 SO WeT I CAN'T SIT DowS. Oh, yes; the man hit the nail with the ham-mer. O, YE JESTERS. OURNFULLY its knell is ringing ; Low bend in grief thy head. Hast thou not heard the fearful news? The Census Joke is dead ! WISER NOW. a f HE: The triumph of Miss Fawcett in the Mathematical ey { Tripos, is but one in the number of incidents, which , indicate the universal advance, the irresistible onward march This is a pump: kin. of the feminine intellect. We women are wiser than we used to be; don't you think so ? He: Ah, yes; one would have some trouble now-a-days \ n in finding any virgins so foolish as not to know when the kins grow on vines. bridegroom comes. What are pump-kins good for? een nTeDeaE rrow on pumps ? No, pump-kins do not grow on pumps; pump- ure good to make pies out of. “ ay, MARRY.” You will learn more about the pump-kin pye ROWN: and pye. veteran ? You may now go out and play. : ROBINSON: Oh, yes. He's the hero of Bunco Hill. Isn't the Governor of New York a war comicbooks.com