Life — October 1, 1885 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Progress" — Life Magazine, Page 185 This cartoon satirizes changing fashion and social attitudes between generations. A woman in contemporary (early 20th century) dress—notably loose-fitting and revealing by Victorian standards—stands before a museum display of historical portraits. A man beside her comments on her "nonsensical dress," to which she responds by mocking old-fashioned clothing and expressing relief they don't live in "those days." The satire cuts both ways: the man appears old-fashioned and prudish, while the woman's confidence in modern dress suggests social progress. The artwork displayed behind them (appearing to show historical figures) emphasizes the contrast between past and present standards of propriety and fashion. The title "Progress" indicates the cartoonist views these changes—at least partially ironically—as inevitable social evolution.