Life — December 26, 1889 — page 26: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This appears to be a satirical illustration from *Life* magazine featuring "C.G. Gunthers & Son, Furriers" of 184 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The image shows three fashionably dressed women in 1880s attire examining what appears to be a fur piece or garment displayed on a pedestal. The woman at top center is shown in an inset portrait. The satire likely mocks the vanity and expense of high fashion—specifically the fur trade and wealthy women's obsession with luxury garments. The formal presentation and the women's elaborate dress suggest this ridicules the pretension of high-end fashion retail and the social status-seeking behavior of wealthy clientele. The furrier's name prominently displayed at top indicates this is advertising-adjacent satire, poking fun at the merchant class and their wealthy customers.