Life, 1891-12-31 · page 19 of 53
Life — December 31, 1891 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two unrelated cartoon jokes and advertisements typical of early 20th-century Life magazine. **Top Left Cartoon:** A man inquires if a woman lost a young blond boy. He explains the child climbed into a pelican's nest and was swallowed by the bird. The joke relies on absurdist humor—the casual delivery of an obviously ridiculous scenario (a child being eaten by a pelican) treated as mundane conversation. **Top Right Cartoon:** A man with eye problems tells another that his doctor advised him to use only one eye at a time to preserve them. The humor is in the literal, illogical interpretation of medical advice—the impracticality of "using" only one eye while the other remains open. **Lower Half:** The page is dominated by period advertisements for Deutsch & Co. (fur capes and garments at sale prices) and Ayers & Pond Pianos. These reflect the magazine's commercial sponsorship model. The cartoons exemplify Life's early style: simple observational humor based on dialect, misunderstanding, or absurdist logic rather than topical satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Man: SAY, MUM, WUZ YOU A LOOKIN’ FOR A LITTLE BOY WID FLAXUM HAIR BLUE EVES? (CAUSRIF YER ARE, HE'S THE YOUNG UN WHO CLIMnED UP AN? MAW, ME DEAT FELLA, WHAT IS THE MATTAN WITH YOUR EVE, THAT vou BLED OVER INTO THE PELICUM'S NEST ANT HHE'S BEEN AN? SWOLLERED 11M ! SHOULD KEEP IT SHUT?” fi Vurse: Be JAnERS, DUT PLL be KILT! ‘ME DOCTAH SAYS ME EYES ARE FAILING VERY FAST AND THAT L MUST TAKE GREAT CARE OF THEM, SOT ONLY USE ONE OF THEM AT A TIME. DEUTSCH & CO., Cor. aad St. FIFTH AVE, Cor. aad st. Our Trade Mark in every garment is a 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 ji Reduced from $125.00. N/A \\. Mink Military Cape, 30 inch, $85.00 U \ Reduced from $175.00. OPERACLOAKS, BOXCOATS, MINK SHOULDER CAPE,17inch, FUR-TRIMMED DRESSES, ; . STORM COATS, UNRIVALLED FOR SWEETNESS AND SYMPATHY OF TOUCH. $30.00. FUR-TRIMMED REEFERS, Catalogue free HATS & BONNETS , ers& Pond Pianos. 220i] Rew ton 805.00. Half Price. Boston, Mass. comicbooks.com