Life, 1902-10-09 · page 22 of 22
Life — October 9, 1902 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon satirizes parental disappointment. A woman tells another that she'd heard her child was gravely ill ("at death's door"), but saw him healthy and lively the next day. The mother responds he's "the most disappointin' boy you ever see!"—the joke being her ironic displeasure that her sick child recovered rather than died. This reflects period humor about difficult children and parental exasperation, using dark comedy common to early-1900s satire. The page is otherwise advertising: "El Príncipe de Gales" cigars (now made in Havana and Tampa, likely capitalizing on American interests following the Spanish-American War), along with contemporary grooming products (Woodbury's Facial Soap, Brighton Silk Garters, and Williams Shaving Stick). These ads reveal consumer culture and gender-specific marketing of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
October 9, 1902 | (si Ww fan ri NOW KING OF HAVANA CIGARS Made in Havana and Tampa, “1 GAVE YOU A BUILLING THE OTHER DAY ON THE PLRA THAT YOCR CHILD WAS SERIOCSLY ILL, aT DEATH'S DOOR, IN FACT. AND YESTERDAY I SAW HIM AS LIVELY AS & CRICKET.” “YRS, KIND LADY, HE‘S THE MOST DISAPPOINTIN’ BOY YOU EVER SEE!" —Afoonshine. WILLIAMS Been mines othe Muli ; a io SHAVING STICK) Woodbury’s . 4 I Facial Soap Jaa skin soap. It thoroughly cleanses the million or so pores shit only soap sclentifically adaptedto the dell- cacy of t Sold by Pa sue pacage 8 cans Wo pay pegs dealers, ‘THB ANDREW JERGENS 00. Get only the genuine. See that the word The Acme_ of: ‘Luxury 2 Price, Teoenty-five Cents, of all Drug gists ‘ The J. B. WILLIAMS CO., Glastonbury, Ct. | 2S cents a pair at all dealers, or by mail. LOKOON PARIS DRESDEN STONEY PIONEER SUSPENDER CO. 718 Market Street, Philadeiptila. : PREES OF THE 4. W. PRATT CO. NEW YOREs comicbooks.com