Life, 1890-09-25 · page 1 of 14
Life — September 25, 1890 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine, September 25, 1890 The main cartoon titled "SYMPATHY" depicts a domestic scene where Mr. Bramford Chappy complains to Miss Edgerly that he lacked the sense to go inside when it rained. Miss Edgerly responds "What a want of tact!"—meaning his complaint itself was tactless. This is a social satire about Victorian etiquette and courtship. The joke mocks both parties: Chappy for his poor judgment and lack of social grace in complaining to a lady, and Edgerly for her cutting, unsympathetic response that reveals her own rudeness despite her privileged position. The cartoon satirizes the rigid, often hypocritical social conventions governing interactions between men and women of the era, where appearances of politeness masked genuine unkindness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XVI. NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 325, 1890. NUMBER 404. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter Copyright, 1890, by Mrrcneut & Mitime. Mr. Brumford Chappy : GO IN WHEN IT RAINED. SYMPATHY, A FELLOW TOLD ME TO-DAY THAT I DIDN’r KNOW ENOUGH TO Ais Edgerly: WaT & WANT OF TACT! comicbooks.com