Life — September 22, 1898 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Perennial Blinder" - Life Magazine, September 22, 1898 This cartoon satirizes a character identified as "Great Scott" (likely a play on words or reference to a prominent figure of 1898), depicted as Cupid. The scene shows a domestic situation where Cupid claims to have set an elaborate trap for romance ("after all the pains I've taken to set this trap, just see what I've caught"). The joke appears to target the unreliability or failure of romantic scheming—despite careful planning, the outcome is unsatisfactory or absurd. The decorative border on the left contains classical allegorical imagery typical of Life's satirical style. Without additional historical context, the specific identity of "Great Scott" and the precise social commentary remain unclear, though the overall theme mocks romantic misadventure or deception.