Life, 1895-06-27 · page 1 of 21
Life — June 27, 1895 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "A Friend's Advice" - Life Magazine, June 27, 1895 This cartoon depicts three well-dressed men in formal attire and top hats in what appears to be a European city setting. One man, labeled "The Tenor," is being given advice by two companions. The caption reads: "It's very hard to keep the wolf from the door. 'Why don't you try singing to it?'" This is a pun-based joke playing on the phrase "keep the wolf from the door" (meaning to avoid poverty). The humor suggests that a tenor (opera singer) should use his vocal talents literally—singing to an actual wolf—rather than struggling financially. The satire likely mocks either a specific struggling tenor performer or the pretensions of European opera culture in the 1890s.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NEW YORK, JUNE 27, 1895. NUMBER 62. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter, Copyright, 1895, by Mircnett & Miter. pe! CANS Sym. A FRIEND'S ADVICE. The Tenor; 11's VERY HARD TO KEEP THE WOLF FROM THE DOOR. “WHY DON'T YOU TRY SINGING TO IT?”