Puck, 1879-11-05 · page 14 of 18
Puck — November 5, 1879 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily advertising, not a satirical cartoon. It features Victorian-era commercial advertisements for luxury goods—caramels, champagne, millinery, dress goods, blankets, and steel pens—placed by New York merchants like Weber, E. Ridley & Sons, and James McCreevy & Co. The only satirical content is "The Naughty Prima Donna," a poem in the upper center mocking an operatic diva's vices and pretensions. The verse humorously catalogs her excessive drinking (champagne, brandy, beer, whiskey, rum) and pipe-smoking while she claims artistic dedication. It's gentle social satire on theatrical excess and hypocrisy—a stock Puck theme—rather than political commentary. The illustration shows a pear-shaped bottle, likely champagne, reinforcing the drinking theme.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PUCK. reasonable. Terms WAREROOMS, 5th Ave. and West 16th st New York. 909 BROADWAY 909 Near 20th Street. CARAMELS A SPECIALTY, Fine Bonbons unexcelled for Excellence of Flavors and quality. NEW FRENCH FRUITS. VANILLA MOLASSES CANDY- Large Assortment of Fancy Boxes and Baskets. Favors for the German of my own Importation. E. CREENFIELD. G. H. MUKM & C0.'S CHAMPAGNE. maportation 1x 1878 35,906 Cases, or 16,270 cases more than of any other brand. JMESMeCRERRY AN —e etn OF Medium and low Priced Fall and Winter ‘Dress Goods, SILK AND WOOL NOVELTIES FROM soc UP. CAMEL'S HAIR SUITINGS FROM a5¢. UP. ALL-WOOL PLAIDS FROM soc. UP. Damasse Suitings, Etc., ‘The Largest and Mest Complete Line ts the COLORED CASHMERE AT PRICES LOWER THAN LAST SEASON. THE NAUGHTY PRIMA DONNA, | The real, plain truth I now will tell, z= They say that it suffices “To pardon much, and I must dwell $i, Upon my many vices. I blush with guilty shame, to make This terrible concession; But I will do it for my sake, If not for the profession! In fact, to get it off my mind, (Tis useless words to bandy), I have a passion undefined For cocktails and for brandy! Strong drinks have special charms for me, My voice without, is thicker; I warble with a sangaree. I’nt glorious when in liquor! I also doat on iced Champagne, It makes my trill more bell-like; And gives to each dramatic strain, A quality more hell-like! In Norma,” I dare not to appear, At least it’s very risky; Unless [ drink a quart of beer, Or half a pint of whiskey. And without plenty of old rum, I really seem uncanny, And cannot force the sound to come, In “ Borgia” or “Ernani.” I take mint-juleps every time, Ising as Margarita; ‘The spirits make my own sublime, And twist my chest-notes neater. While my success in “ L’Africaine” Depends, and this is certain, Upon the vermouth sours I drain, Before they hoist the curtain. To smoke a pipe I also love, Between success and failure; And entre nous 1’m not above A Concha or Regalia. Nice food delights me, and I think There's nothing like roast mutton! Snipe pleases me as much as drink, Mon Dieu! Yama glutton! These horrid faults, I grieve to tell, Harm not my perfect slumber; Though they are growing, I know well, In recklessness and number. For my ambition, I must say, Is, when by wines clated, ‘To sing “Dinorah” or “ Haydée,” Gorged and intoxicated. Cupid Jones in the Hand-organ, Tue Sun says that Adam did not play base ball, walk for champion belts, or play the ac- cordeon. Still he had a son who wielded a club with considerable dexterity and force.— N.Y. Commercial Advertiser, One of the most effective supper table orna- ments at the Belmont ball was an allegory re- presenting Grant receiving the scroll of Fame fromVictory at the door of theTemple of Liberty. And yet a San José editor went home full of Roe- derer, softshell crabs, mashed ice and things, and referred to it as ‘‘a humorous composition, depicting a ticket seller keeping dead heads out of a circus with a tent pin.” —San Francisco Po The Bodega The Bodega Supplies the very finest imported Wines and Spirits b bottiey gallon or hogshead at wholesale prices; also samples by the glass. . TIMOTHY STEVENS, Proprietor. Sole Agent for Jutas Ctaverte’s Clarets; Manetr & Co! Beanies AcnnsedseLaumaaten Champagnes; Macaneta & Co", and Moncax Bros., Sherries. THE BODECA, 83 Ontar Street & 351 Broadway, N. ¥. E RIDLEY & SONS, Grand and Allen Sts, N. Y. MILLINERY GOODS. EXTRAORDINARY DISPLAY OF GOODS FOR FALL AND WINTER WEAR. TRIMMED BONNETS & HATS, LEADING NOVELTIES, LATEST DESIGNS. FELT HATS AND BONNETS, MISSES’ AND CHILDREN’S HATS, BOYS’, YOUTHS’ AND MEN’S HATS. Dress Goods. ALLWOOL BLACK CASHMERES, go inches wide. ¢oc. ALI-WOOL COLORED CASHM + 49 S HAIR, 44 inch, all-wool, all new "Got Shades, 37} ite FRENCH PLAIDS, ase 100 FINE LONG CASHMERE SHAWLS, slightly damaged, Buovand fe HEAVY CLOAKINGS, $6 inches wide, $1, $1.25, $1.50 per yard. SEAL SKIN SACQUES, FUR-LINED GARMENTS. SEAL SACQUES, Re-dyed and Re-modeled to present style, Look equal to new. HQSIERY. LADIES" MERINO UNDERWEAR, 31€,, 38co, 45¢.4 $0C+y 656-5 LADIES" ALL WOOL, $5.0, $298 0. RED FLANNELS, gsc., 81.10, $1.25, up. Gentlemen's Furnishing Goods. WOOLEN BLANKETS, LARGE AND CHEAP ASSORTMENT, from $1.65, $1.75. $2 Up t0 $t¢ a pair. SPREADS AND COMFORTABLES, full izes, $1, $1.25, $1.59, LACE SPREADS AND SHAMS, ‘TO MATCH, 83, 84, 85, uP. the set, PASSEMENTERIES AND FRINGES. PEARL, MEDAL, AND CROCHET BUTTONS. BARGAINS THROUGHOUT OUR 52 DEPARTMENTS. E. RIDLEY & SONS, 809, 311, 311 1-2 GRAND ST. 56, 88, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, and 10 ALLEN STREET. OSEPH PILLOTT'S J STEEL PENS. Sold by all Dealers throughout the World. Gold Medal, Paris Exposition, (878,