Life, 1926-02-18 · page 14 of 36
Life — February 18, 1926 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon illustrates a Victorian-era parlor scene titled "THE GAY NINETIES," depicting well-dressed figures in a formal interior with a fireplace. The caption references "THE RISKY LITTLE GILT CHAIR WITH THE MENDED LEG WHICH SOMEHOW OR OTHER SEEMED TO BE STANDARD EQUIPMENT IN EVERY FORMAL 'PARLOR' OF THOSE FESTIVE DAYS." The humor appears satirical: despite the upper-class setting and refined clothing, the joke centers on a broken, repaired chair—suggesting a gap between Victorian pretension and modest reality. This mocks the 1890s' reputation for propriety while hinting at economic constraints or decay beneath fashionable appearances. The "risky" chair implies physical peril, possibly with risqué implications typical of Life magazine's humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
2 - LIFE: Jokemakers’ Calendar A Handy Guide to Humorists JARY—New Year Resolutions. Wife's Christmas J Cigars. Bills for Christmas Presents. Florida Real Estate. February—Lincoln’s Parody Comic Valentin Birthday. St. Valenti Small boy giving V. small girl. Washington’s Birthday. Cherry Tree. Couldn't tell a lic. Threw a dollar across the Potomac March—Winds. Income Tax Returns. Lion and Lamb. ring Poems in Cold-in-the-head Dialect. Mov- joing to the Country Jokes. June Brides. Tour- ing, Billboard and Gasoline Station Jokes. July—Summer Resorts. Bath Bathing Girls. Mosquitoes. ng Girls, Bathing Girls. American Tourists in Paris. Angust—Bathing Girls, Amateur Campers. Fish Sto- New Yo mer resort. My wife has gone to i September—Return to City. mmer Engagements. For- got to tell milkman to stop leaving milk. Boy seated at desk dreaming of swimming hole. Maine Guides. ries. Is it hot enough for you K is the best sum- vol Opens. Hoween, b Thanksgiving. Pilgrims hur turkeys with Indians shooting arrows from ambush. Cc versation between two turkeys, Jokes about little boys cating too much mince pie and turkey. December—St Ice skating, skiing and tobogganing. Christmas, Santa Claus. Santa Claus Claus in Salvation Army garb. Father Christmas Presents. Christmas at Grand Time Yule. THE GAY NINETIES THE DINKY LITTLE GILT CHAIR WITH THE MENDED LEG WITCH SOMEHOW OR OTHER SEEMED TO RE STANDARD EQUIP- MENT IN EVERY FORMAL “PARLOR” OF THOSE FESTIVE DAYS. comicbooks.com