Life, 1898-09-08 · page 19 of 20
Life — September 8, 1898 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top cartoon is a French satire (from *Journal Amusant*) mocking pretentious wine culture. Two men dine together; one requests "a bottle of your best milk," then adds that they have a "Château-la-Vache 92" (Castle-the-Cow 92)—a deliberately absurd fake wine name playing on French château naming conventions. The joke ridicules both wine snobbery and the French obsession with elaborate wine classifications. The lower half advertises Tom Masson's book *The Yankee Navy*, celebrating American naval achievements through the Spanish-American War (the "destruction of Cervera's fleet" references the 1898 naval victory). The portrait shows a military officer in period dress. This section represents *Life* magazine's patriotic, triumphalist approach to American naval power during the imperialist era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
DONNEZ-MOL UNE BOCTEILLE DE VOTRE MRILLEUR LAIT. NOUS AVONS UN CHATEAU-LA-VACHE 92 QUI EST UNE MERVEILLE.—Journal Amusant, “GRIT, GUMPTION AND GUNNERY!” THE YANKEE NAVY BY TOM MASSON. NOW READY. Profusely Hlustrated with Original Drawinge and by Old Printe of the Period. Price, 81.00, bound In cloth, with cover in colors. This work, while being an accurate narrative of the achievements of the American Navy from its inception to the destruction of Cervera’s fleet, possesses all the interest and excitement of a story of adventure, The only book on the subject that presents in condensed form the com- plete history of our Glorious Navy. Other attractive books, illustrated by the best artists, will follow in proper season, LIFE PUBLISHING COMPANY, 19 and 21 West 31st St.,.Ni York. a ot SCM OONS.CO