Life, 1883-10-11 · page 1 of 16
Life — October 11, 1883 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine, October 11, 1883 This page features "The Mayflower," a detailed engraving of the historic ship that transported Pilgrims to America in 1620. The caption notes it shows the vessel "as she must have appeared on her passage to this country, with a portion of the heirlooms which are 'really authentic, you know.'" The satire targets a contemporary obsession: Americans' collecting of supposed colonial-era artifacts and relics. The phrase "really authentic, you know" is sarcastic—suggesting wealthy collectors claimed dubious authenticity for expensive purchases. By pairing the historically significant Mayflower with the knowing wink about fake "heirlooms," the cartoonist mocks the 1880s craze for colonial memorabilia and the credulous buyers willing to pay premium prices for unverified antiques.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NEW YORK, OCTOBER 11, 1883. EVTEGED 47 SEW YORE Post OFMICE, 48 excoND CLAse WAIL MATTER. Grrmwrr tes or sJAnronen + THE MAYFLOWER AS SHE MUST HAVE APPEARED ON HER PASSAGE TO THIS COUNTRY, WITH A PORTION OF THE HEIRLOOMS WHICH ARE “REALLY AUTHENTIC, YOU KNOW.”