Life, 1889-02-07 · page 14 of 16
Life — February 7, 1889 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **commercial advertisement page**, not a political cartoon. It showcases luxury goods for New York's wealthy class during the Gilded Age. The page features two illustrated fashion figures at top advertising **Redfern's** spring 1889 clothing collection—elegant gowns indicating high-end tailoring for women of means. Below are various ads for luxury items: fine china dinnerware, beauty products (complexion creams), designer dress goods, silk fabrics, men's hats, wines and liquors, and meat extract. The single literary reference—Shakespeare's *Taming of the Shrew* ("And gentlewomen wear such gowns as these")—suggests aspirational consumption. **The satire is implicit**: Life magazine, despite its satirical reputation, carried substantial advertising that catered to the wealthy elite, reflecting the consumer culture and class divisions of 1880s New York. The juxtaposition of luxury goods demonstrates the era's conspicuous consumption among the upper class.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Fish Set, No, ¢ “2 SPRING SEASON, 1889 / ARLY IN FEBRUARY C xacsmrien OF NEW AND ORIGINAL GOWNS, COATS, AND HATS, Designed by the Messrs. Redfern for the ensuing season, 210 FIFTH AVE., through to 1132 BROADWAY, the » NEW YORK. FIRST HANDS. Dinner sets a specialty— either in complete sets or in courses. Send 50 cents for a finely illustrated price-list. Cor- FRANK HAVILAND, 14 Barclay St., N.Y. City. Jost below the Astor House. Superior to CREME SIMON MARVELOUS FOR Softening and Whitening the Complexion. Most Efficacious for Light Affections of the Skin. Vaseline and C ucum b ers. * wise a Deotonesy Parts, PARK & TILFORD, New York. For sale by Druggists and Fancy Goods Stores. Aenold, Constable & Co. SPRING NOVELTIES. DRESS GOODS. Broadway & 19th St. New York. UNIVERSALLY POPULAR WORN BY THE WELL-DRESSED TOP ROYAL FOR SALE BY MEN'S FURNISHERS. MANUFACTURED EXCLUSIVELY BY CORLISS BROS. & CO., TROY, N.Y. NEW YORK OFFICE, 76 Franklin Street. CHICAGO OFFICE, | 247 & 249 Monroe St ‘And gentlewomen wear such gowns as these.""— Taming of the Shrew, Black Silk Department. We have received large Im. portations of Black Peau de Soie Silks, from $1.00 to $2.50 per yard. Genuine Peau de Soie pos- sesses Softness and Richness of appearance in a greater degree than any other make of Dress Silk. It is also very durable. The prices marked by us are considerably less than manufacturers ask. We think this especially worthy the attention of our Customers. JAMES McCREERY & CO, Broadway and 11th St. NEW YORK H. B. KIRK & CO. Can supply for the Sick.room, for Grand Dinnes for Family Use, RELIABLE WINES AND LIQUORS THAT ARE WELL MATURED. ALSO MEDIUM AGES. No other House can furnish ‘OLD CROW RYB.” 69 FULTON STREET, 9 WARREN STREET, BROADWAY AND 27TH STREET. ESTABLISHED 1881 The finest Meat-Flavoring Stock, USE IT FOR SOUPS. Beef Tea, Sauces and Made Dishes Sold by Storekeepers, Grocers and Drug Lresic's Extract or Megat Co., L't’'d, | comicbooks.com