Life, 1891-04-02 · page 11 of 14
Life — April 2, 1891 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page contains two satirical illustrations contrasting April Fools' Day customs across 2,000 years. The **top cartoon** depicts ancient Roman figures with umbrellas in a rainstorm, captioned "The First of April, 2,000 Years Ago." It suggests Romans practiced April Fools' pranks similarly to modern times. The **bottom illustration** shows a 19th-century scene (captioned "In 1891") with figures near a classical monument, representing contemporary American April Fools' observance. The accompanying text includes a brief joke about "A Lamentable Flaw," where characters Alderman Dinkelspeil and Alderman Moriarty discuss an unfamiliar term—suggesting confusion about modern American customs or language differences. The satire appears to mock how April Fools' traditions persist across centuries, or possibly critiques how Americans adopt or misunderstand foreign customs.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A LAMENTABLE FLAW. SHE (carefully questioning): Are you a married man? LDERMAN DINKELSPEIL: Vot you tink, Moriarty, HE (carefully answering): 1 don't know. My latest telegram from Chicago says that the jury is still out, aboud de gomplexion of de new poard ? ALDERMAN MORIARTY: There's a dom'd American in it be the name of Johnson. I like it in other rispicts. MADDER THAN A HORNET—The object of its caresses, comicbooks.com