Life, 1887-12-29 · page 3 of 21
Life — December 29, 1887 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Possibly" - Life Magazine, December 29, 1887 This satirical cartoon depicts a grand social gathering, likely a formal ball or reception. The caption's dialogue suggests a humorous exchange about a woman's loud clothing or appearance at the event. The joke hinges on class and social etiquette: a gentleman observes that a woman (identified as "Major Bold's wife") wears conspicuously loud or garish gowns. She responds that she does so out of "consideration to the Major" because "he is so shockingly deaf." The satire mocks both the woman's fashion choices and her excuse—implying her loud dress is meant to compensate for her husband's hearing loss, making the situation ridiculous. It reflects Victorian-era concerns about propriety, fashion, and marital dynamics in high society.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VoLuMe X. DECEMBER 29TH, No. 261. 1887. POSSIBLY, He: HANDSOME WOMAN, THAT MAJOR BOLU's WIFE; BUT WHY wil SHE WEAR SUCH LOUD GOWNs ? She: OUT OF CONSIDERATION TO THE MAJOR, I FANCY; HE 18 SO SHOCKINGLY DEAF, DON'T YoU KNOW, comicbooks.com