Life, 1898-05-19 · page 19 of 20
Life — May 19, 1898 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon, titled "Not a Bad Joke," depicts a scene from a European source (*Über Land und Meer*). It shows a woman in classical dress seated with three masked figures—likely representing Death, the Devil, and another supernatural entity—gathered around her in a darkly comedic scenario. The joke appears to play on the woman's precarious position among these ominous companions, though the specific satirical reference is unclear without additional context. The page is primarily filled with **period advertisements** for tobacco products (Boot Jack, Abbott's Angostura Bitters), chewing gum (Beeman's Pepsin Gum), breath perfume, and saddle manufacturers. These ads reflect early 20th-century consumer goods and marketing strategies, including premium offers (aluminum pocket cases) to encourage repeat purchases. The content reveals little overt political satire; instead, it showcases Life's mixed format of humor, illustration, and commercial advertising typical of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NOT A BAD JOKE. --From Uber Land und Meer. “TOBACCO Qsresi eau see SE BEST ete ee tte > tte ett HES BOOT JACK: A chewing j tobacco so good that it would be ? impossible to better it. tleman’s luxury. A gen- g80-For the return of 36 silver paper strips from 5 cent cuts of Boot Jack, we will send to any address free of charge a hand- some aluminum pocket case for tobacco. JOHN FINZER & BROS., Manufacturers Louisville, Ky. ore orm orn ecamnetrnen a 110 ore pr pn gO My ag werye nar HIT Breatd Pesrume BEEMAN’S THE ORIGINAL PEPSIN GUM Cures Indigestion YOU LOOK FOR THE NAME on a saddle and if you see Garford, Hunt or Brown You are satisfied. You know that cither represents the best there is in saddle construction, in Beauty, Com. fort, Safety, and Perfection of Work- maniship and Materials used. Gartora » yy 24 Ploe St., Elyria, O. Hust Mar ws Westboro, Mass. Brown S: vs 206 Cedar St., Elyria, O. comicbooks.com