Life — November 30, 1893 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This appears to be a satirical illustration from *Life* magazine (page 347) depicting a social scene, likely from the late 19th or early 20th century based on the clothing styles. The caption indicates a conversation between a woman ("She") and a man ("He") about cremation becoming fashionable in Boston. She remarks it's "interesting," and he responds by asking what temperature is needed to cremate a Bostonian—an ethnic or regional joke implying Bostonians are particularly cold or emotionally frigid people. The illustration shows an elaborate social gathering with elegantly dressed women in elaborate gowns, suggesting the satirical target is upper-class Boston society. The joke appears to mock both the adoption of cremation as a trendy practice and characterizes Bostonians as inherently "cold" people, making the cremation joke doubly pointed.