Life — April 24, 1890 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Confusing" This 1890 Life magazine cartoon satirizes confusion about age and appearance. Two well-dressed women are examining a portrait of a young woman while speaking to a small child. The caption reads: "Yes, little girl, that was taken when I was younger than you are." "Have you the same head now you had then?" The joke appears to target women's use of cosmetics, beauty treatments, or other appearance-altering methods that make their current appearance dramatically different from their younger portraits. By the 1880s-90s, such concerns about women's cosmetic practices and vanity were common satirical subjects. The "confusing" title emphasizes the bewilderment caused by the stark contrast between the portrait and the woman's present appearance.