Life — February 3, 1887 — page 1: what you’re looking at

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# "The Voice of Warning" - Life Magazine, February 3, 1887 This satirical cartoon depicts a séance scene where a man in formal dress and a woman in an elegant gown sit with a fireplace mantle displaying a deer skull and cityscape. The caption indicates "Charley Hailwater" is addressing "Mrs. C.," noting that a "sepulchral" voice claims to come "from the place of departed spirits." The satire appears to target the Victorian-era spiritualism craze—the popular belief in communicating with ghosts through mediums and séances. The cartoon mocks this pseudoscientific practice by suggesting the "warning voice" is merely theatrical trickery. The formal setting and the couple's expressions suggest the absurdity of educated people participating in such supernatural claims, which were often fraudulent.