Life — October 17, 1895 — page 20: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is primarily **business correspondence and advertising**, not political satire. The page features: **Main Content:** A letter from Redfern (an established tailor/dressmaker at 210 Fifth Avenue, Madison Square, New York) forwarding correspondence from **Lillian Russell**, a famous American actress and performer of the era, to the American Fibre Chamois Company. **The Photo:** A glamorous portrait of a woman in Edwardian dress dominates the left side—likely Russell herself, given the context. **The Actual Letter:** Two handwritten notes appear below, discussing clothing construction—specifically about "skirts and sleeves" and "the style" of a garment, mentioning "genuine horn clasp" and concerns about durability. **Purpose:** This appears to be a **testimonial advertisement** using Russell's celebrity endorsement to promote quality tailoring and materials (particularly chamois fiber). Russell's status as a well-known public figure lent credibility to the dressmaker's work. This reflects early 1900s marketing: leveraging celebrity endorsement for luxury clothing goods.