Life, 1899-08-03 · page 17 of 20
Life — August 3, 1899 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertisements and satirical humor** rather than political cartoons. The main satire appears in **"Life's Bureau of Bachelor Beauties,"** which mocks wealthy society women hiring male escorts for social events. The testimonials parody upper-class pretension—women booking men as "mourners" for fashionable funerals, dancers for dinners, and companions for social functions. The final telegram from "Mrs. Malaprop Moneybag" requesting "young, handsome" men where "brains" and "accomplishments" don't matter crystallizes the joke: wealthy society women reduce men to decorative accessories while caring nothing for intelligence. The other content consists of period product ads: Eagle Liqueurs (marketed as "American"), Esterbrook pens, portable houses, cologne, and photography services—typical Life magazine revenue sources. The "Loving Cup" cartoon by Harvard Lampoon (center) appears to be a separate visual joke, though its specific meaning is unclear from context alone. The page satirizes **Gilded Age social climbing and commodification** rather than partisan politics.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
worked tered e. Te 3 Symbols of Americanism. ¢ be richer sirength of the Kation te the America: Syaele of te socal Ure of the Satlon ts America Wemaabeod, Aymbolie of the achievements of American ladusiry are Eagle iy (CORDIALS) For Portable Houses. Bay your children & Play House; your hoy can erect ty Particulars write to Mershon & Morley, Sagina) Mich. We manufacture portable houxes for Huntet | Cabins, Sommer iesort Cottages, and dozen other pt poses. Te Et 4 MERSHON & MORLEY, SAGINAW, MICH. HE: Ci % apa Tae (50 other st vies, fine, medlum and broad poi ints... eee 6 Ask your iatictee forthem. ™Esterbrook Steel Pen Co. Works, Camden, N.J. 26 John 8t,,N. ¥. for painters snd scuipto scopion, Only original photos! | Rs] Mat “with nd pioiatare, and 2 motos. $l, Note or stamps. | = | RECKNAGEL, Nechloleers Boblisbers, Musied, Uertany Harvard Lampoon. ofa The most fraudulently and flagrantly counter- feited article on the market to-day is the genuine Johann Maria Farina Cologne Old customers are hard to deceive. They may be misled by the bottle and label, but they seow the Cologne, You cannot be deceived i Johann Maria Farina, GEG Julichs Platz —the word"‘cegeniibe! the bottle is a worthless imitation, Send for circular. Each bottle also bears the label of Schieffelin & Co., New York, Sole Agents. LIFE’S BUREAUS Bachelor Beauties. The great success which has attended this enterprise has com. pelled us to increasc our corps of gentlemanly ESCORTS FOR LADIES, BEST MEN AND USHERS FOR WEDDINGS, MOURNERS AND PALL-BEARERS AT FASHIONABLE FUNERALS. Orn Motto: WE STRIVE TO PLEASE. thestasttc and vivacious; brightens up a {shionable dinner ; good for breaking the ice at Bixed functions, an bour, TESTIMONIAL, 4 me the same young man who sat next ‘Beat the Van Vulgas’ dinner last Friday, to escort Be to a roof-garden on ‘Thursday at nine. His manoers and tearing were perfect, and hereafter 1 High spirited ; fine sense of humor; ‘Sal patronize no other bureau but yours. Great favorite with the middle-aged flow of language ; tavuluable at lull dinners. ARABFLLA FORTITEW. ‘Tenus : $25 per evening. Fine gure ; excellent dancer ; medinm conve can appear interested under nll clreu favorite with young girls who wre ‘TeRMs : $3 for afternoon ten. $4 fordinner. $5 q Vall. $1 an bour additonal for dancing after 2a, TeLecnas. ePoRT, July Live's Berea, N. Y. City. Send assorted lot twelve for garden party to-morrow. Must be young, handsome, well groom Never mind brains, accomplishments. Tits, possible. ‘Mrs. MALAPROP MONEYBAG comicbooks.com