Life, 1896-12-17 · page 17 of 20
Life — December 17, 1896 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertisements** with one satirical cartoon. The main illustration, captioned "Curious Effect of Northern Lights as Seen by a Recent Explorer," depicts a figure holding a large net beneath an aurora borealis, appearing to attempt capturing the northern lights themselves. The joke is **absurdist satire**: an explorer treating a natural phenomenon (the aurora) as if it were a catchable creature. This likely mocks either credulous Victorian-era reports from Arctic explorers or the public's fascination with exotic polar exploration narratives—people believed almost anything about distant lands. The surrounding ads (Armour beef extract, Steinway pianos, Whitman's chocolate, shaving products) are typical period marketing, offering no satirical content. The page demonstrates how Life magazine mixed humor with advertising revenue in the early 20th century.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
After The Play or, in fact, anywhere, at any hour, one can make delicious Bouillon from 9 + fp Extract ot BEEF Requires only the addition of boiling water and a pinch of salt. It’s the matter of a moment. Armour & Company, Chicago. —— L. LEGRAND (0: Performer) 11, place Pi a PARIS The o awarded at the Paris VELOUTINE TOILET FOWOER —- CEX. FAW, Inventor 9, Ruo de ta Patx, Paris.— Caution. icone Genuine bat those bearing the word “FRANCE” and the signature CH. FAY. | CURIOUS EFFECT OF NORTHERN LIGHTS. AS SEEN BY A RECENT EXPLORER. STEIN WAY Preeminently the best Pianos mado; ex+ ported to and sold in all art centres of the globe, and endorsed and preferred for private and public use by the greatest artists and ectentista. Tilnstrated Catalugues mailed free upon application. STBINWAY & SONS, 107-111 E. 14th St, NEW YORK. FUMINITTTUTITIND CeCeOoOeOCOCOOOOOES ? . That people who have $ tried different choco- @ lates prefer WHITMAN'S f Instantaneous 0 i Chocolate 1 ers Taste, 33, 22toscisie: Your grocer bas it in 11%, aod M19. tos. STEPHEN ¥. Wi Porccccccccoococoes: Es 5 z F i 4 MLIIEITINTINITP CCC COCOCOCOCCCOCCOOOOOOES combined with Remarkable Delicacy The most refined Perjume,and to-da} the Standard in all civilized countries. INCOMPARABLE FOR ITS GREAT. CREAMY LUXURIOUS LATHER. comicbooks.com