Life, 1891-12-31 · page 17 of 53
Life — December 31, 1891 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines humor cartoons with period advertising. The top two cartoon panels use working-class dialect humor common to early 1900s Life magazine: **Left cartoon:** A mother discusses a missing boy with flaxen hair who climbed into a pelican's nest and was swallowed. The nurse responds matter-of-factly that he'll be killed—typical dark humor of the era. **Right cartoon:** A gentleman complains about his failing eyesight; his companion suggests he use only one eye at a time to preserve them. The joke relies on the absurdity of this "economical" approach to health. **Lower section:** A piano advertisement emphasizing emotional appeal ("sweetness and sympathy of touch"), paired with a Deutsch & Co. fur retailer advertisement featuring fashionable capes and coats—targeting wealthy readers. The cartoons reflect period attitudes: casual violence in humor, working-class characters portrayed in exaggerated dialect, and acceptance of physical affliction as comedic fodder. The advertisements target affluent urban audiences.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
S\y, MUM, WUZ YOU A LOOKIN’ FOR A LITTLE BOY WD FLANUM HAIR be EVES? “CAUSE IF YER ARE, HE'S THE YOUNG UN WHO CLINHED UP ast SAW, ME DEAH PELLAM, WHAT IS THE MATT ME WITH YOUR EYE, THAT YoU VER INTO THE PELICUM'S NEST AN’ HE'S BEEN ANT SWOLLERED HIM f SHOULD KEEP IT suUT 2” ch Nurse: Be Janers, bUT LL ne KILT! + ME DOCTAM SAYS ME EYES ARE FAILING VERY FAST AND THAT [MUST TAKE GREAT CARE OF THEM, SO | ONLY USE ONE OF THEM AT A TIME.” DEUTSCH & CO. Cor. 22d St. FIFTH AVE. Cor. 22d st. Our Trade Mark in every garment isa lasting guarantee. BARCAIN SALE. Sealskin Cape, 17 inch, - $50.00 Reduced from $100.00. Persian Lamb Cape, 17 inch, $18.00 Reduced from $40.00. Mink Military Cape, 25 inch, $65.00 Reduced from $125.00. Mink Military Cape, 30 inch, $85.00 Reduced from $175.00. OPERACLOAKS, BOXCOATS, MINK SHOULDER CAPE,17 inch, FUR-TRIMMED DRESSES, ; STORM COATS, UNRIVALED FOR SWEETNESS AND SYMPATHY OF ToLeH. $30.00. FUR-TRIMMED REEFERS, Catalogue free. rs& Pond Pianos.” a Ce Reduced from $65.00. HATS & BONNETS Boston, Mass. Half Price. comicbooks.com