Life, 1898-02-10 · page 1 of 20
Life — February 10, 1898 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine, February 10, 1898 This page features a cartoon titled "Starting a Conversation" with the caption: "Do you get many love-letters from young ladies who see you on the stage?" The illustration shows two figures in conversation—a man in a dark coat on the left and a woman in a long dress on the right. The joke appears to satirize the theatrical world and fan culture of the 1890s, specifically poking fun at actors who receive romantic correspondence from female admirers in the audience. The ornate left border contains decorative vignettes typical of Life magazine's design. The piece reflects period social commentary about theater, celebrity, and the emerging phenomenon of fan mail directed at popular stage performers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XXxXl. NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 10, 1898. NUMBER 791. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter, Copyright, 1808, by Mircuety & Mitten, STARTING A CONVERSATION. “DO YOU GET MANY LOVE-LETTERS PROM YOUNG LADIES WHO SEE YOU ON THE sTAGEY”