Life, 1895-08-22 · page 1 of 16
Life — August 22, 1895 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "A Knowledge of Men" - Life Magazine, August 22, 1895 This satirical cartoon illustrates gender dynamics of the 1890s. Two women are depicted: one seated reading a newspaper (appearing skeptical or unimpressed), the other standing in fashionable dress with an elaborate hat. The caption presents dialogue: "He dropped me for a girl with more money" / "Yes; but that's no sign he doesn't love you." The joke satirizes women's supposedly naive or self-delusional understanding of male motivations. The standing woman attempts to convince her friend that financial infidelity doesn't negate romantic feelings—a patently absurd rationalization that mocks both male mercenary behavior and female acceptance of it. The decorative border with classical and mythological elements adds visual sophistication to this commentary on courtship and marriage economics in the Gilded Age.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XXVI. NEW YORK, AUGUST 22, 1895. NUMBER 660. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. Copyright, 1895, by Mircnett & Minter, K Bn ents SN BNca A KNOWLEDGE OF MEN. ‘HE DROPPED ME FOR A GIRL WITH MORE MONEY,” “YES; BUT THAT'S NO SIGN HE DOESN'T LOVE You.”