Life, 1897-11-11 · page 5 of 20
Life — November 11, 1897 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page from *Life* magazine shows two figures in silhouette having a conversation. The dialogue caption indicates a discussion about someone going to the Klondike—a reference to the Klondike Gold Rush in Canada's Yukon Territory (1896-1899). One figure expresses concern that the other should "take me instead of Ed, dear," suggesting Ed is departing for the gold fields. The disagreement about timeline ("I'll be back in two years" versus "Ed says he will be back in a year") satirizes the common experience of men leaving their families with uncertain return dates during the gold rush boom. The satire targets the economic disruption and family separation caused by gold rush fever—a major social phenomenon of the 1890s that lured men away with promises of quick wealth.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
He: 1 AM SURE YOU WOULD BETTER TAKE ME INSTEAD OF ED, DEAR, I'LL BE BACK FROM THE KLONDIKE IN TWO YEARS, “BUT ED SAYS HE WILL BE BACK IN A YEAR,” comicbooks.com