Life, 1889-09-19 · page 14 of 18
Life — September 19, 1889 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **fashion advertisement**, not a political cartoon. It showcases John Redfern & Sons, a high-end dressmaker with royal appointment to Queen Victoria, advertising their autumn 1889 collection. The decorative header features allegorical figures (winged cherubs, a crowned royal crest) emphasizing luxury and prestige. The large illustration depicts an elaborately dressed woman in a fashionable coat with ornate fur trim—the type of garment Redfern specializes in. The text emphasizes exclusivity: designs are "original and cannot be duplicated," and the firm maintains branches in New York, London, and Paris to offer the latest European fashions simultaneously. This appeals to wealthy American clients wanting to match European sophistication. The advertisement targets affluent women, offering mail-order samples for those traveling away from New York—reflecting both the transportation and communication advances of the 1880s and the concentration of fashion authority in European capitals.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
> WS. py apeoial appointment to H. M. the Queen of England: ff SAUTUAMAN SEASON 1889> Messrs. John Redfern & Sons are now prepared to submit for the consideration of their patrons the PRodels, Designs and Gloths arranged by them for the ensuing season. Gheir establishments at Plew York, bsondon \\ and Paris have each contributed characteristic} and ORIGINAL MODEL GOWNS, COATS ond MANTLES. Gbe advantages of being in at direct and daily communication with the great centres of fashion, tsondon and Paris, through] the medium of their branches in those cities, can- not be overlooked and must be greatly appre- ciated by their customers, the latest NOVELTIES being thus produced in Rew York simultaneously ith their appearance in Rurope. * @ @ * ) Gight-fitting Goats of Seal, Astrachan and other I suitoble furs are “built” by the PRessrs. Redfern with all the “smartness and accuracy of fit charac- 4 SQ teristic of their productions in cloth. oe All designs are ORIGINAL and cannot be duplicated. Isadies liding away from Dew York can Shave sketches and samples forwarded free. Rit aes without a 0 F FIFTH AVE" mm(139 B'WAY,N.Y comicbooks.com