Life, 1913-06-12 · page 17 of 44
Life — June 12, 1913 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a boxing satire from Life magazine depicting a women's boxing match between two competitors: "Molly Mac Pherson" (nicknamed "The Peach o' Campbell's Flats," 126 lbs.) and "Eat 'Em Up Corny" Rhinelander (225 lbs.). The cartoon mocks the era's fascination with women's boxing exhibitions—a controversial spectacle that attracted both curiosity and moral disapproval. The joke plays on the stark weight disparity (nearly 100 pounds) and the pseudo-expert commentary about their physical condition ("too much muscle on her neck," "overtraining"). The illustration shows an elegantly-dressed woman (left) presumably promoting or watching the match, while spectators observe in the background. The satire targets the absurdity of such mismatched "sporting" events and the pretentious analysis surrounding them, likely critiquing both the spectacle itself and those who took it seriously.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AN EXHIBITION WITH THE GLOVES BETWEEN MOLLY MAC PHERSON (“THE PEACH 0 CAMPBELLS FLATS"), 126 Les. D “EAT EM UP CORNY” RHIN The odds were in favor of “ The Peach,” who pink o, condition. The “ Eat’em Up” is thought to have gone off a little through Guertroining: The sharps say she has too much muscle on her neck. comicbooks.com