Life, 1894-11-08 · page 1 of 14
Life — November 8, 1894 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "A Waste of Good Material" This satirical cartoon from Life magazine (November 8, 1894) critiques upper-class courtship customs. The caption quotes a man asking why a "great strong man" pursues "round begging" (marriage proposals), with his response: it's the only profession where a gentleman can address a beautiful lady without formal introduction. The cartoon shows a well-dressed woman in fashionable 1890s attire (with elaborate hat and layered dress) being approached by a disheveled man waving what appears to be a fan or handkerchief. The satire's point: the institution of courtship and marriage proposal etiquette allows otherwise improper social behavior—a man can be forward with a woman only when seeking marriage, making the whole system absurd and wasteful of "good material" (the woman's potential).
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XXIV. NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 8, 1894. NUMBER 619. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. Copyright, 1894, by Mitcnrte & Minter. A WASTE OF GOOD MATERIAL. “WHY IS A GREAT STRONG ‘ LIKE YOU 'ROUND BEGGIN “AH, MADAM; IT IS THE ONLY PROFESSION IN WHICH A GENTLEMAN CAN ADDRESS. A BEAUTIFUL LADY WITHOUT THE FORMALITY OF AN INTRODUCTION.” comicbooks.com