Life — September 17, 1891 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Street Girl Graduate" This satirical illustration depicts a young woman in an elegant dress conversing with a man in formal attire within a classical interior setting. The caption reads: "His other ego?" "Thus he winked at me with his other ego!" "His other eye, of course!" The joke plays on the phrase "other ego" (a pun on "alter ego"), suggesting the man is winking with his "other eye" rather than possessing a separate self. This appears to be social satire about courtship or flirtation, mocking either male behavior or the woman's naïveté in misinterpreting the man's intentions. The title references her as a "street girl graduate," implying commentary on women's social status or morality during the early 20th century. The humor relies on wordplay and innuendo.