Life, 1900-12-13 · page 20 of 20
Life — December 13, 1900 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon, titled "Anti-Fat," satirizes Victorian-era weight concerns and fashion solutions. Two portly gentlemen discuss their obesity: the tall one says he's becoming "uncomfortably stout" and needs a remedy, while the short one claims he solved his problem by abandoning patterned clothing—making himself *appear* thinner through fashion tricks rather than actual weight loss. The joke mocks both men's vanity and the era's absurd "solutions" to obesity: merely wearing solid colors instead of patterns creates an optical illusion of slimness. It's social satire about male vanity, body image anxiety, and the gap between appearance and reality. The page is otherwise filled with period advertisements (cocoa, cigarettes, soap, brandy, banking services), typical of Life's format blending editorial content with commercial messaging.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ANTLFAT. DO YOU KNOW, OLD FELLOW, I'M GETTING UNCOMPCRTABLY STOUT? 1 MUST DO SOMETHING FOR IT, A—U1 SO WAS I, BUT 1 GAVE UP WEARING CLOTHES WITH 4 PATTERN, AND I FEEL MUCH THINNER— The Talt Stout Party The Short Stout Party : TRY IT.—Moonshine. NESTOR... Indispensable to smokers of Discriminating Taste. Once you've tried Evans’ Ale or Stout you will be sur- prised at how Imuch you did Jot know about j good ale. trying. Worth buying and well worth sand butone se fre SOAP BERNHARDT VSES PEARS S04 AND FINDS IT MORE PLEASIN AND SATISFYING THAN ANY THING ELSE FOR THE TOILET— ize iy SHE SAYS Cor "TTI SIMPLY PERFECT”: § Pears obtained the only Grand Prize awarded solely for toilet soap at the Paris Exhibition, 1g00. This is the Highest Award obtain- able for anything, Do not be imposed upon by injurious imitations. ““AGenuine Old Brandy made from Wine.” — Medical Press (London), Aug, 1899. MARTELL'S THREE STAR BRANDY At ALL BARS AND RESTAURANTS. Redmond, Kerr& Co.) BANKERS, 41 WALL ST., N.Y. Transact a geoeral banking busivess. Recelve de subject to Dividends and tote: rest collected = amt remitted. Act Fiscal “Agent and negotiate aod issue loss of rail: roads, street rail + eae rh wi leas ete. Securities Members bought sod sold c2 N.Y. Stock Exchange, \commission. pa DEAL IN High-Grade Investment Securities. Lists of current offerings sent on applicatios. PHILADELPHIA CORRESPONDENTS, GRAHAM, KERR & CO. comicbooks.com