Life — February 22, 1883 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Life Magazine, February 22, 1883 This is the cover/title page for Life magazine's eighth issue of volume one. The elaborate engraved illustration shows allegorical figures in a fantastical landscape viewed through large decorative letters spelling "LIFE." The scene includes cherubs, classical figures, and a rising or setting sun, rendered in the ornate Victorian style typical of 1880s satirical publications. The image appears primarily decorative rather than satirical commentary on specific current events. It establishes the magazine's artistic aesthetic and brand identity as a sophisticated, illustrated publication. Published weekly at 10 cents per copy from the Life Office at 1155 Broadway in New York, this represented an early example of American satirical magazine design during the Gilded Age.