Life, 1886-04-08 · page 1 of 16
Life — April 8, 1886 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine, April 8, 1886 This page satirizes wealthy individuals reconsidering extravagant purchases. The illustration shows a well-dressed man (labeled "Fred") and woman discussing a financial misstep. Fred has apparently offered himself as collateral and suggests they "begin on a moderate scale," implying he's already spent considerable fortune. The woman responds that she wishes they'd known "before the Morgan sale" that they should have "started with second-hand things"—referencing what appears to be a major auction or financial transaction involving someone named Morgan (likely J.P. Morgan, the prominent banker/financier). The satire targets wealthy Americans' impulsive spending habits and the consequences when market conditions shift, mocking their assumption of unlimited resources.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
"VOLUME vil. NEW YORK, APRIL 8, 1886. NUMBER 171. Entered at New York Post Office as Second-Class Mall Matter. Copyright, 1886, by MITCHELL & MILLER. Grower ites tr sgamireneu.> SHALL WE NEVER HEAR THE LAST OF IT? Fred (who has just offered himself): AND YOU WON'T MIND, WILL. YOU, IF WE BEGIN ON A MODERATE SCALE? As I STILL HAVE MY FORTUNE TO MAKE. She: OF COURSE NOT. AND I DO SO WISH WE HAD KNOWN THIS BEFORE THE MORGAN SALE, FOR I SHOULD BE PERFECTLY SATIS- FIED TO BEGIN WITH SECOND-HAND THINOS. comicbooks.com