Life — September 19, 1901 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page from Life magazine (copyright 1907, per the footer) contains an illustration titled "Here's to John and Jonathan," visible at the bottom right. The sketch depicts two elegantly dressed women in Edwardian-era clothing, seated together in an intimate pose. The reference to "John and Jonathan" likely alludes to the biblical story of David and Jonathan's deep friendship, here applied sarcastically to a pair of women. This appears to be satirizing female companionship or homosocial bonds between women in early 1900s society—a subject Life frequently treated with knowing humor. The elaborate clothing and refined setting suggest upper-class women, while the suggestive positioning and witty caption imply the magazine is making a pointed joke about the nature of their relationship.