Life, 1890-10-09 · page 9 of 14
Life — October 9, 1890 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 191 This page contains several brief satirical anecdotes and jokes rather than a single cartoon. The humor targets social pretension and human nature: **"A Switzer Case"** jokes about a couple becoming engaged under an umbrella on Lake Lucerne, playing on romantic clichés. **"Robert's Theory"** uses mistaken identity humor—a man notices a girl in pink tights he'd only glimpsed before, attributing her changed appearance to seeing him. **"Overheard at Delmonico's"** mocks wealthy diners' social climbing by having each successive swell demand the waiter mention their name to the chef—escalating absurdly to demanding mention with every clam. The sketches on the page illustrate these anecdotes in a light, humorous style typical of early 20th-century American satire magazine humor, targeting vanity and social affectation among the upper classes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*LIFE: A SWEITZER CASE. U NDER the shade of one umbrella A maiden fair and a city fellar Were sailing one day on Lake Lucerne. They thought, as they sailed so nicely together, They'd better sail on for ever and ever; So she became his'n and he became her'n, ROBERT’S THEORY. OMMY: I don’t understand about that girl in pink tights. 1 saw her only night before last from the balcony, and she had a distinctly Grecian nose, and now it turns right up. You can see for yourself. Bon: She probably hadn't seen you night before last, and now she has. AN INFALLIBLE SIGN. EEKS: I'll wager a new hat that man over there's a school- master. Nonsense, how do you know ? WEEKS: Oh, he tried his hand on the seat of the chair before he sat down on it! STILL A MARGIN OF PROFIT. LERK: I collected only one of the bills. The other three men skipped the town, PLUMBER: That's nothing, so long as one of them paid. Come and I'll open a small bottle. OVERHEARD AT DELMONICO’S, IRST SWELL: Waiter, bring me some soft-shell crabs, and just mention my name to the che/. SECOND SWELL: Waiter, bring me sweetbreads a /a financiére, and mention my name to the chef. THIRD SWELL: Waiter, bring me some broiled lobster, and be sure to mention my name to the chef. ORDINARY MORTAL: Waiter, bring me one dozen clams, and mention my name to every clam. A BAD EFFECT. ~ HATTER: Count Tolstoi is sick, I learn. STAGGERS: Yes; he has just heard of Wana- maker. A STANDING WEARINESS. OU look rather weary,” said the cloud to the Eiffel Tower. “Yes; Iwas up all night, replied the Tower. AN EXCEPTION. Piscator : ANY MITES OVER THERE, SONNY ? . . Roy: MILLIONS OF 'EM. A: Accidents will happen! Piscator (in joyous expectancy): Trout? B: Not when you have a policy. Boy: Nol ‘SkeeTERS. comicbooks.com