Life, 1899-08-24 · page 20 of 13
Life — August 24, 1899 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes the bicycle as a primitive "invention." Labeled "The Horseless Carriage," it depicts adults and children pedaling a makeshift contraption—essentially showing the bicycle as a comically inefficient substitute for horse-drawn transport. The satire lies in the gap between the grandiose name and the ridiculous reality: multiple people must pedal furiously to move what a horse could pull effortlessly. In 1890, bicycles were genuinely new technology, yet this mocks their impracticality compared to established transportation. The cartoon targets both the bicycle craze and the breathless enthusiasm for "modern inventions" that couldn't match traditional methods. The page is primarily advertisements (Lea & Perrins sauce, Libby's canned meats, Old Crow Rye, Pears' soap) surrounding this single satirical illustration.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
August 24, 1890, ‘ROASTS* ARE GIVEN A MOST DELICATE AND APPETIZING RELISH, IF JUST TOUCHED UPA BIT WITH. & , PERRINS ~SAUCE,, 7H Otc, a conse worcesTO™ FOR SIXTY YEARS THIS SAUCE HAS GIVEN PERFECT SATISFAC- TION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. NCAN'S SONS, EARLY ENGLISH INVENTIONS NOE WORK, 407s “THE HORSELESS CARRIAGE.” — Moonshine, “ What you want when you want it” Libby’s Luncheons Delicious, delightful, delectable meat dainties—always all ready—no fire, no bother—all’ you have to do is to serve—for home, for picnics, for everywhere, Veai Loaf|/Ox Tongue (whole) | [Potted Ham, Beef and Tongue | Wafer Sliced] [Deviled Ham)5 Candy connoisseurs bold up Smoked Beef| [Brisket Beet | It is a wonderful soap Whi 9 Put up in convenient sized key-opening cans. that takes hold quick and itman S Libby's Home-Baked Pork and Beans. ¢” does no harm. > Chocolates and Confections seed eGo ‘oakes Our Booklet How No harm! It leaves the gold sreryenere postal. | skin soft like a baby’s; no as the highest standard of candy excellence, to Make Good Things to Eat” yours for a Whitman's Iastantancous Chocolate Libby, McNeill & Libby, Chicago. alkali in it, nothing but det a } foiling water. oe: p. The harm i is done by . alkali Still more harm is The various brands of done by not washing. So, whiskies come and g0.| bad soap is better than Here to-day, and gone to none. morrow, but the old-timer, What is bad soap? Im- the stayer, is perfectly made; the fat and alkali not well bal- Old Crow Rye, anced or not combined. the tried and true, made} What is good soap? the same way it was in the | Pears’. early days of this century. aiATisorts of storesselt it, especially druggists; sorts It has never been equaled. | SCRE FROM LIFEL MODEL STU H. B. KIRK & CO., Photo for aiern. apd ect Stereoscopics, Bole Bottlors. Trice ieee wite fon, maslatare low'¥: 8. RRCKNAGRE, Rechiolger, Publisher, Masied, ver New ‘York. many. I. Brieflach. comicbooks.com