Life, 1891-09-17 · page 1 of 18
Life — September 17, 1891 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine, September 17, 1891 This page features a section titled "Popular Science" with an illustration and accompanying verses about moonlight and romantic encounters between lovers. The illustration shows two women in Victorian dress indoors, apparently looking at documents or papers. One woman appears skeptical or dismissive while the other gestures expressively. The verses below use pseudo-scientific language to humorously debunk a romantic notion: that moonlight creates the proper conditions for love. The punchline—"It isn't the light for lovers, at all. It doesn't turn hows"—appears to be a play on words or visual pun, though the exact meaning is unclear from the text alone. The satire likely mocks Victorian sentimentality about romance while employing mock-scientific reasoning typical of Life's humorous commentary on contemporary social customs.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME. XVIII. NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 17, 1801. NUMBER 455. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. Copyright, 1891, Mircunun & Mitume. roduce ork, close, RK. SIONS. POPULAR SCIENCE. “HERE IS \ PRETTY CouPLET * Sweet is th ar when twilight hovers, But moonli : “OM, FIDDLE! TT Isx'T THE LIGHT FOR LOVERS, AT ALL. IT DOESN'T TURN bows,” comicbooks.com