Life, 1895-01-24 · page 6 of 14
Life — January 24, 1895 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page features "The Growth of Greatness III," a satirical portrait series about **Willie Hohenzollern**, identified as Hon. Wm. Hohenzollern of Berlin, Germany. The left image shows him as a child in formal dress, holding a beer mug and what appears to be a scepter—satirizing his aristocratic pretensions and German stereotypes about beer culture. The accompanying text describes him as a prominent Berlin socialite from an old family, holding German government offices, and claims he's written poetry and songs. The satire appears to mock his modest self-presentation despite inherited wealth and status, his business dealings, and his overall self-importance. The name "Hohenzollern" references the actual German royal dynasty, suggesting this is likely a caricature of a real contemporary figure using a loaded name for comic effect.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
INGLENOOK CRITICISM AND. TRAVEL. F there is a time when the lover of reading is more than ever assured that he has acquired a taste that is one of the sure consolations of youth or age, it is just at this season of long evenings and outrageous storms which make the man with engagements glad to break them, and the man without satisfied that he is not popular. Indeed the man who THE GROWTH OF GREATNESS. III. WILLIE HOHENZOLLERN, FROM A PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN WHEN TWO YEARS OF AGE. HE HON, WM, HOHENZOLLERN, of Berlin, Germany, is one of the most prominent members of the 4oo of that promising city. He comes from one of its oldest families, and his name always appears in the public prints when he attends a coming-out reception or a dog- fight. He owns enough pairs of trousers even to entitle him to membership in New York's most exclusive clubs. Notwithstanding all these advantages, both inherited and acquired, he is an unassuming and modest gentleman, who in his shrinking from public notice and from all idea of self-advancement, reminds one of the gentle violet. Mr. Hobenzollern has held several important offices under the German Government, and there has never been the slightest intimation that his accounts were not correct or that he accepted bribes from saloon-keepers or policy-dealers. He has many accomplishments, and is a well-known leader of the German, besides speaking that language with the fluency of a native. He also writes poetry, which he finds no difficulty in getting printed, He has lately written a song entitled “+ Aegir,” which promises to become as popular and fatal as Sweet Marie” or * Two Little Girls in Blue.” He has written a number of charming and flattering accounts of himself, which appeared in Ameri- can publications over the modest nom de plume, ** Poultney Bigelow.” Mr. Hohenzollern succeeded his father in business at a very early age, and is still conducting it at the old stand very much to his own satisfaction, His kindheartedness was shown at once by his prompt retirement from further hard labor of one Bismarck, an old and trusted employee of the concern, Mr, Hobenzollern is still, young, a defect for which he is not responsible, and which time may be relied upon to cure, He married early in life a young woman of good family, and up to the present writing has never been arrested for wife-beating. Altogether Mr. Hohenzollern is an interesting person and fully entitled to the prominence we give to him by printing his portrait at various stages of development. It is true that he has not yet paid up his last year’s subscription to LiFe, but we assure our readers, that we have no feeling against this gentleman, and also that we are HOHENZOLLERN, not attempting to gain his favor by complimenting him. AT THE AGE OF TWELY comicbooks.com