Life, 1890-01-02 · page 5 of 16
Life — January 2, 1890 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page Analysis This page satirizes New York high society through two main pieces: **"Among the 400"** (left column) mocks wealthy socialites, particularly Mrs. John Brainerd, critiquing their pretensions and lack of substance. The text quotes society figures dismissively—one claiming American society is "vastly more amusing than anything Barnum could bring from Europe," another noting a wealthy woman is "incapable of any deep religious feeling." The satire suggests the upper class are shallow and self-absorbed. **The main illustration** (right) depicts a couple at what appears to be a social event, with the woman in an elaborate white dress. The accompanying caption jokes about a Wisconsin clergyman converting water to fuel, sarcastically suggesting clergy might similarly "devise some means of converting fuel into water" for the wealthy's comfort. The overall message: New York's elite are frivolous, materialistic, and deserving of ridicule.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AMONG THE 400. “An American aristocracy is a practical joke on common sease.” RS. JOHN BRAINERD seems to think she is as good as anybody, Neither her ancestors nor those of her husband have ever been prominent in New York fashionable society, and maay of our first families have resolved to treat her with more coolness in future. She has made a great many enemies by her ma- lignant statement that ‘the 400 are vastly more amusing than anything Barnum could bring from Europe." If she herself is lacking in-respect for a class of people whom thoughtful Americans love and revere, she should at least keep it to herself. As Mrs, J. Greely Whympson very truly says, ‘such a woman is incapable of any deep religious feeling.” Mr. C. Cranston Byrrel (whose mother was a Swinelander Gregg) gets all his cigars from Clark & Chilford. Miss Tilly Brysson, who will inherit about $4,000,000 when her father dies, says Abra- ham Lincoln would have had no social posi- tion in New York, In speaking of the New Year's ball, Mr. Ward McAllister is reported as saying: “ Without doubt, this will be the most mag- nificent society ball ever seen in this country, Bishop Gullem: 1 BELIEVE IT 18 A WISCONSIN CLERGYMAN WHO HAS FINALLY SUC- CEEDED IN CONVERTING WATER INTO FUEL, Miss Penelope Peachblow: THAT'S VERY WELL FOR THIS WORLD, BUT FOR THE NEXT IT MIGHT ADD MORE TO OUR COMFORT IF THE CLERGY COULD DEVISE SOME MEANS OF CONVERTING FUEL INTO WATER, and the largest, for the Philadelphia Assemblies are attended by only 800 people. The deco- rations are on a scale of elegance that I never saw attempted before. The invitations are all out. Yes; I suppose there are many disappointed people, but then I believe our list covers all the ball-going element} of New York society that we could invite with propriety.” Just think of the number of people this great and good man could have invited with impropriety | It will send a cold shiver up every conservative spine in the country. Miss Spotty Shillynghurst says: ‘If the people at the opera are annoyed by the loud con- versation of the box-holders they can just stay away. We pay ten times as much as anybody | YOUNG MAN, accustomed to light- house work, would exchange his present : 5 position for a life-preserver. else, and we will make ten times as much noise if we want_to. There, now!" comicbooks.com