Life, 1892-12-15 · page 9 of 16
Life — December 15, 1892 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 349 This page features a large architectural illustration of a triumphal arch (likely the Washington Square arch in New York) alongside commentary about urban beautification. The left text argues New York needs more monumental architecture like this arch, claiming the city ranks "fourth in size" but architecturally ranks "nowhere." The author criticizes New York's reliance on private residences and brownstone buildings rather than grand public structures, asserting that only the worst architects are employed for public buildings. The right column contains a humorous dialogue ("Reversing Things") mocking social pretensions—characters confuse a grocer with a real estate businessman, and make jokes about "babbabs" (barbers) and Salic law. The satire appears to target class confusion and false sophistication among ordinary New Yorkers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
- LIFE: This incredible monotony is the onl During the recent Columbian festiviti character the street can beast. arch was erected in Fifth Avenue, eighth Street, and it added so much to the beauty of the avenue and to the entire neighborhood in which it was placed, that a feeling of regret was that it should be only a temporary structure. caused We give herewith a drawing ? of the arch, which of course has possibilities of improvement. The position could also be bettered by placing it so as not to impede trav Ifa monument similar to this could be erected in that vicinity, it would add so tremendously to the beauty of our present matter-of-fact avenue, that its WHY NOT HAVE ANOTHER? EW YORK ranks fourth in size among the cities of the earth. Architecturally it ranks nowhere. Counting backwards, however, and considering the archi- tectural horrors of which it is so largely composed, it is far ahead of all competitors. This is owing to its private residences being built whole sale by contractors, who dispensed with architects, Archi- tects, however, were demanded in some of the public build- ings, but great care was taken, as a rule, that only the worst architects should be employed. The result of all this is, the city we now live in and endeavor to be proud of. Fifth Avenue, like the other streets, consists for the most part of innumerable brown stone platitudes, all depressingly alike. tence scems almost a necessity. The arch at the Washington Square end gives distinction to the entire neighborhood. The en- trance to Central Park is certainly no less important. Why not have it? We are rich, We are also vulgar, and somewhat dishonest, but if we wish to be beautiful, there is no good reason why we should not get a little nearer to it than we have yet. REVERSING THINGS. OBBY : about beaus, isn’t it, Pop ? FOND PARENT : it? soppy: Why, Mr. Bold- leigh is a grocer and Mr. Gotrox is in the real estate business. Fonp about it? Boppy: Well, Sis. says that Mr. Boldleigh has lots of sand but that Mr, Gotrox has more sugar. e Y 2S, sah,” said the barber as he played a reveille on the strop with his razor blade, “some bah- bahs may be jus’ as good as othehs, on'y they don’t suit some men. You see its a a bahbah may not be of the right temperature to suit a custome! Funny Sissy's thing two What is Par What question of pussonal magnitud *© 7 OHN, what's the Sa J asked Mrs. John. “It was a law that prevented women becoming kings,” replied John, learnedly. c law we read about in history ? THEY'RE OFF !—Lunat comicbooks.com