Life, 1893-08-24 · page 3 of 16
Life — August 24, 1893 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page (Volume XXII, Number 556) The top cartoon depicts a man in a straw hat confronting a sea serpent that's displaying what appears to be a magazine or publication. The joke seems to reference the sea serpent as a recurring hoax or fabrication—the serpent ironically hasn't appeared publicly in years, yet claims it attended nine grand appearances and was supposedly too busy for the circus fair. The lower sections contain two separate satirical pieces: "Profit and Loss" mocking wine criticism and connoisseurship, and "Across the Bridge," a dialogue about expensive calling cards and social mishaps. These appear to target upper-class pretension and the financial absurdities of maintaining social status among the wealthy. The overall theme criticizes elite affectation and commercial humbug.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XxIl. Life's Representative: WELL, HOW 1S THIS, OLD MAN; NOT A SIGHT OF YOU THIS SUMMER, AND SUCH AN IMPORTANT YEAR, TOO, The Sea Serpent : Tuat's just IT. I HAD MYSELF DOWN FOR AT LEAST NINE GRAND APPEARANCES, AND EVEN INTENDED DOING THE FAIR, BUT WHEN THEY GO TO WORK AND RING IN A FAKE LIKE THIS—A DEAD STEAL FROM ME—IT'S TIME PAPA STAYED AT Home, No, NO, I NEVER PLAY SECOND FIDDLE TO ANYONE. PROFIT AND LOSS. *€T REALLY grow very brilliant after a certain amount of wine,” said Bagley. The other night, while with a good congenial crowd, I made a joke that was accepted ood enough, my boy,” replied Topley ;“you it to go into the busi- Well, no, I don’t think I could afford it. You see, it took fifteen dollars worth of wine to evolve that two-dollar and a half joke, to say nothing of the copies of that issue I had to buy.” “| THOUGHT YOU WUZ SUCH GOOD FRIENDS WITH HIM,” “ THERE WUZ A TIME WHEN I FAIRLY IDERLIZED THE GROUND HE WALKED ON, BUT WHEN HE KICKED MY DOG, THAT ENDED IT, AIN'T SPOKE SINCE !"” WE ACROSS THE BRIDGE. R. CLINTON NOTMAN: Call- ing cards are frightfully expensive! I had fifty printed two years ago and T haven't a single one left now, Mr. FULTON TROL- LEY: My dear boy! you must have simply thrown them on (Crees: I fell off my bicycle yester- day in front of a club window. MAUDE: thing broke? CLARA: was. Was any- The window comicbooks.com