Life, 1896-01-09 · page 20 of 20
Life — January 9, 1896 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This small cartoon satirizes American vanity and materialism. A teacher asks a student about "man's highest and best attribute," expecting a serious moral answer. The student, after pausing to think, answers that it's a "Knox Silk Hat"—a premium men's hat brand. The joke mocks how superficial values have replaced genuine virtues in American society. Rather than naming intelligence, virtue, or character, the student reflexively identifies a luxury consumer product as humanity's greatest achievement. The title "It Tops All" works as a pun: the hat literally tops one's head while also being positioned as "topping" all other human qualities. This reflects turn-of-the-century satirical concern about commercialism and consumer culture displacing traditional moral education in American life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Laces. Handkerchiefs. Lace Collars; Lace Flounces; Lace Hand- kerchiefs; Trimming Laces. Linen and Silk Hand- kerchiefs, Initialed, Em- broidered and Hem- stitched; separately and in fancy boxes for the Holidays. Ladies Fine Embroid- ered Handkerchiefs be- gin at 25 cents each. James McCreery &Co., Twenty-third Street. WOULD saristito. WHEELS WERE | AS GOODAS ANOLE? ONY NAGS Christmas *LIPE- Profusely Illustrated. Now Ready Tobehad at all First-class Newsdealers 25 Cents a Copy. If TOPS ALL. Tractier—" What is man’s highest and best attribute ?” StupENT (after a pause)—" Well, I should think the highest and best would be a Knox Silk Hat!" (MARIANI WINE) THE IDEAL FRENCH TONIC. « Tlonsieur Mariaui, your precious wine has completely reformed my constitution, you should certainly offer some to the French Govern- ment.”’ Henri Rochefort. At Dacoowrs & Farce Gnoceas. Avorn Scaermcnoss. Sent free, If this paper Is mentioned, Descriptive Book, Portraits and Autographs if Celebrities. uKaiiGet & CO., Panse: 41 Roolevard Haussmann, 62 West 10h St, New Yous, Losbom : $29 Oaferd Street. tims’ Tor west vare Fle! for pata fa tae bach de eheshs lcock’s Pes Plaster BEAR IN MIND—Not one of the host of counterfeits and imi- tations is as good as the genuine. “Hausrto Paces, 18-20 Rose 8r., N.Y. Pears’ is as gentle j oil. It has alkali ing nothing b soap. FIBRE CHAMOIS | Used and endorsed by LILLIAN RUSSELL Mps. FRANK LESLIE, Mas. JENNESS MILL Regen Back numbers of Lire q be had by applying at office, 19 and 21 West 3 St, New York City. Sing copies of Vols. I. and IL. ¢ of print. Vol. I., bound, $30 Vols. Il, VIII, XIII. XIV., $20.00 each, bow Vols. VII., X., XL, XI, M and XVI., $15.00 each, bo Vols. IIL, IV., V., VI. I XVII.and XVIIT.,$10.00 a4 bound. Vols. XIX., X XXL, XXII, XXIII, XX! and XXV., $5.00 each. Ba numbers, one year old, cents per copy. Subscrib4 wishing address changed greatly facilitate matters sending old address as w4 as new. comicbooks.com — seen