Life, 1901-10-17 · page 1 of 20
Life — October 17, 1901 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine, October 17, 1901 This is a congratulatory cartoon marking "Eli's 200th Birthday." The central image shows a massive birthday cake labeled "CENTENNIAL" being presented by two figures—one wearing a "WALL" cap (likely representing Wall Street), and another in dark robes (possibly representing age or tradition). Children and cherubs dance around celebrating. The left border contains decorative vignettes depicting various historical scenes, suggesting a retrospective of American life and history. "Eli" appears to reference Eli Whitney, the inventor of the cotton gin, whose invention was patented in 1793—making 1901 approximately his 200th birthday commemoration. However, without additional context, the exact figure or institution being celebrated remains unclear from the image alone.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XXXVIII. NEW YORK, OCT. 17, 1901. NUMBER 989. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. Copyright, 1900, by Lig PUBLISHING COMPANY. LIFE CONGRATULATES ELI ON HIS 200TH BIRTHDAY. comicbooks.com