Life — April 27, 1905 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Life Magazine, April 27, 1905 This page features a satirical cartoon about the Middletown Club library. The main illustration shows two well-dressed women browsing books in what appears to be a library basement or storage area, surrounded by stacks of novels. A sign warns: "NOT TO BE MUTILATED, OR TAKEN FROM THE BUILDING." The caption reads: "I JUST LOVE LITERATURE, DON'T YOU?" The satire targets women's reading habits and literary taste. It mocks patrons—particularly women—for treating serious literature carelessly and for their apparent love of cheap popular novels (visible titles include "sensational" works). The joke suggests these readers consume literature superficially, viewing it as entertainment rather than something to be respected. The protective sign underscores the library's concerns about book damage from casual readers.