Life, 1895-12-26 · page 9 of 51
Life — December 26, 1895 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This is a humorous column titled "People You Have Heard Of" from Life magazine's section "The Cloudy Season in New Amsterdam." The text consists of satirical one-liners about various social types and their comeuppances—a young man distracted by a girl at church, a hysterical lady, someone injured in an argument, failed romantics, and struggling professionals. The crude woodcut illustration (rotated 90 degrees in the layout) appears to depict a chaotic domestic or social scene, though specific details are difficult to discern. The satire targets pretension and foolish behavior among the urban middle class. Each brief anecdote suggests comeuppance—the passionate man has "his wings clipped," the ambitious painter is "out of a job"—implying that overconfidence or emotional excess leads to downfall. This reflects Life's characteristic gentle mockery of contemporary American social foibles.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
= < a c wi i a = < > | w z z z fe) ° no > < S a ° z w x - 415 PEOPLE YOU HAVE HEARD OF. HE young man who cast his eye on a young lady com- ing out of church has had it replaced, and now sees as well as ever. The man who could not trust his feelings, is supposed to do busi- ness on a cash prin- ciple. The lady who went | off in hysterics, came back on the L. road. The gentleman who went too far in an argument was brought home on a stretcher. The man who wres- tled with adversity, wore out the knees of his trousers and got worsted, The man who jumped up on the spur of the moment, was soon glad to sit down again, The girl who burst | into tears has been put together. The young man who flew intoa passion has had his wings clipped. The young man who was taken by surprise has returned. The man who paint- ed the signs of the times, is now out of a job. It is rumored that distance lent enchant- ment to the view and now the view refuses to return it. The man who was moved to tears com- plains of the damp- ness of the premises and wishes to be moved back again.