Life, 1894-12-06 · page 8 of 16
Life — December 6, 1894 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis: Life Magazine Page 366 This page satirizes high society's obsession with expensive jewelry and opera attendance. The main article "Music and Diamonds" mocks wealthy women who display elaborate diamond corsages, necklaces, and tiaras at the opera—suggesting their primary interest is fashion display rather than appreciating music. The article lists specific socialites (Mrs. Elisha Dyer, Mrs. Vanderbilt, Mrs. John Jacob Astor) and their jewelry, implying that attending opera has become less about artistic merit and more about conspicuous consumption among the elite. The bottom cartoon "Those Idiotic Questions" jokes about tennis etiquette, with one player accusingly asking if his opponent is "painting, gawds!"—mocking pretentious sporting affectations. The overall message critiques American upper-class vanity and superficiality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
* LIFE: “CARDS ARE OUT FOR THEIR WEDDIN MUSIC AND DIAMONDS. J ! must be a pleasure for lovers of good music, and especially those with the higher artistic sense, to read in their morning paper that Mrs. Elisha Dyer, Jr., was in pink satin and wore a necklace of solitaire diamonds, and a tiara of diamonds. It is a relief to know this, and doubly so for those who were anxious as to how Mrs. Dyer would decorate herself. There is also a gentle excitement in the information that Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt's gown was of white satin, re- lieved with bows of cerise velvet. She wore some handsome pearl ornaments. Although pearls are less dazzling at a distance than diamonds this is no slur upon Mrs. Vanderbilt. Her pearls were doubtless of enormous size and of unquestioned value. But the reader need have no fear that our smart set are retrograding, that they are becoming parsimonious and are feeling the hard times. Does this paragraph give that impression : Mrs. John Jacob Astor wore a superb gown of pale blue satin, trimmed with silver-spangled tulle and lace. The edges of the corsage were traced out with diamonds of immense size. She Iso wore a necklace of diamonds and a coronet of the same jewels. ~Oxthis : pray a Mrs. Henry Sloane was in a magnificent gown of maroon veivet, of a deep shade, and wore a necklace of solitaires, an all-round coronet of diamonds and-some gorgeous. diamond ornaments on the corsage. Can the effete East do better than the following Mr. and Mrs. Robert Goelet, the latter in maise-colored satin and a countess's crown of diamonds. And then there was Mrs, Ogden Mills, in pale blue satin who wore some hand- some diamond ornaments ; And Mrs. S. S. Howland ina gorgeous gown of mauve brocade, trimmed with sable, and wearing a necklace of pearls and diamonds, a coronet of the same gems and ropes of diamonds and pearls on the corsage, and Mrs, August Belmont, who looked exceedingly beautiful in white satin and some hand- some diamond ornaments, To say nothing of Mrs, Lawrence, who was in black velvet and white lace, and wore an immense coronet of diamonds, set well on the forehead, What fair-minded person can visit the opera, then read his newspaper, and still consider our smart set plutocratic or vulgat ENCOURAGING. ONSUMPTIVE (#2 Colorado): situated for an invalid ? LANDLADY: It couldn't be better. I've had three con- sumptives here the past year, and they liked it so well that not one left until he died. Is this room well IRST DESPONDENT: § in the river are you? SECOND DESPONDENT: Yes, I am. “Well, that’s what I came here to do also, complaint ?"” “Thad thirteen poems rejected by one editor. “And I had one poem rejected by thirteen editors. me.” (They plunge). y, you ain't going to jump What's your Join THOSE IDIOTIC QUESTIONS. “Awl! Paintinc, Gawce 2?” “OH, NO! I'M SIMPLY PLAYING LAWN TENNIS. HORSEBACK, OR HAVEN'T YOU GOT UP VET?” ARE YOU ON comicbooks.com