Life — June 4, 1891 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Explanation for Modern Readers This satirical cartoon depicts a large bull in the foreground observing the Sapolio Street Metropolitan Elevated station in the background. The caption reads "His to the Rapid Transit Millennium," suggesting this is commentary on New York City's rapid transit development—likely the elevated railway system that was expanding around the turn of the 20th century. The bull appears to represent a skeptical or bemused observer of modern urban progress. The joke likely plays on the contrast between the "old" (represented by the animal) and the "new" technological advancement of rapid transit infrastructure. The satirical point seems to critique or mock the era's enthusiasm for modernization and rapid transit expansion as the city rushed toward the new millennium.