Life, 1899-03-09 · page 19 of 20
Life — March 9, 1899 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The Main Cartoon:** The top illustration satirizes absurd French beauty treatments, captioned in French: "How to style hair with four hairs" using a special cosmetic invention. This mocks European vanity and pretentious fashion culture—a common target of American satirical magazines. **The Advertisement (Primary Content):** The bulk of the page is a scathing fake ad for "Eagan, Alger & Corbin," presented as "Outfitters and Embalmers." It's viciously attacking U.S. military incompetence during what appears to be the Spanish-American War era (references to "Camp Alger" and malarial camp sites suggest the 1898 conflict). The satirical "services" list incompetence: selecting disease-ridden camp locations, transporting troops inefficiently, neglecting wounded soldiers, appointing incompetent officers. It positions the company as "General Promoters of Human Misery." This reflects genuine public anger over documented military mismanagement, poor sanitation, and preventable deaths during the Spanish-American War—a major scandal that prompted congressional investigations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
oi UU ei). COMMENT ON PEUT SE COIFFER AVEC QUATRE CHEVEUX, N. BLES CHEVEUX SE TIENNENT RAIDES PAR UN COSMETIQUE SPECIAL ET PAR MOI INVENTE.—Le Petit Mustré Amusant. EAGAN, ALGER & CORBIN ecememanessi Outfitters TAKEN FRO. LIFE lished in LiFe are too good to be printed but once. Many of the best have AND... been preserved ina little dainty volume, Embalmers——= - J. Wurrcoms Ritey W. S. Moopy Tom Masson ME. W. We make a specialty of | t P. DANA METCALFE Selecting Malarial Camp Sites, j' DELANCEY PIERSON Harry ROMAINE Leisurely Transportation of Troops by Round- Among the illustrators are about Routes, | - CG. DiGieane aw . ‘OASPERN . B. ENZEL Systematic Detention of Medical and Other Cuanizs Hows Joanson Army Supplies, Ranvotrn BUNNER — A, VAN ScitacK Appointment of Incompetent Officers, Includ binding, 75e, In flexible leather, $1.50 The Thorough Neglect of the Wounded. VERSES Address an ' ' ' As General Promoters of Human Misery We Refer Foretgn Potentates, Life Py blishin Com an $d Others about to Engagein War, to the War Investigating Committee, Kew voRK ' Washington, D. C., and to all first-class whitewashing establishments. DOUBLEDAY & McCLURE COs m are te $9 and 25 West 3ist Street, For further particutars, address NEW YORK CITY EAGAN, ALGER & CORBIN, 12 Typhoid Avenue, CAMP ALGER, VA. comicbooks.com