Life, 1892-08-25 · page 11 of 14
Life — August 25, 1892 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page 109: Social Comedy This page contains two theatrical sketches satirizing early 20th-century social pretensions: **Top illustration ("At Narragansett Pier"):** Shows wealthy women discussing their daughters' marriage prospects. The joke centers on class anxiety—one woman boasts of five rich fiancés for her daughter, while another admits her daughter has only one suitor, but he's "willing to marry." This mocks upper-class obsession with marrying daughters to wealthy men. **Bottom illustration ("Trying to Be Funny"):** Depicts a couple disagreeing about horseback riding etiquette. He prefers tennis as "not too sedentary," while she critiques his riding style. This gentle humor targets couples' bickering over social propriety and masculine/feminine deportment. Both sketches reflect Life's focus on satirizing affluent American social customs and domestic gender dynamics of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AT NARRAGANSETT PIER. “HOW MANY FIANCES HAVE you?" ” “THREE.” ‘Is THAT ALL? Wuy, I HAVE FIVE, AND THEY'RE ALL RICH.” “ BUT ONE OF MINE 1S WILLING TO MARRY.” is well mounted and well acted, the last scene in particular displaying some really beautiful stage pictures. The com- pany is well selected and well drilled, and altogether “ Capt. Lettarblair” is one of the mds? “ticfactory productions seen on the New York stage for a iv..g wine. . . . R. DE WANG HOPPER kas had an increase in his family. His last year's herd of elephants, which gained fame as a rapid consumer of beer, has an offspring in the form of a baby elephant, who performs numerous cheer- ful tricks calculated to bring interest and amusement to the most cultured mind. In other respects this year’s “ Wang” is both the peer and superior of last season’s production. Miss Della Fox still warbles melodiously about babbling brooks and other matters, and smokes cigarettes with all the reckless grace and abandon of the most depraved messenger boy. The cast is practically unchanged, and Wang seems destined to rule over the destinies of Siam for an indefinite period. NO PLACE FOR HER. [FESS eND: You're on the wrong side of the ferry boat ; this is the “‘ Men's Cabin.” Mrs. MALONEY: An’ that’s the “ Wimmin’s” over there. Where do the ladies be after goin’? TRYING TO BE FUNNY. He: 1 MUCH PREFER TENNIS, She; Not THE Way YOU RIDE. HORSE-BACK RIDING 18 TOO SEDENTARY. comicbooks.com