Life — March 20, 1902 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Life Magazine Cover, March 20, 1902 This is the cover of *Life* magazine from 1902. The main illustration shows a domestic scene with a man and woman seated, and a woman in a large hat standing before them. The caption reads: "By the way, Billy, when does Easter come this year?" / "How should I know? I'm not in society." The joke satirizes the social divisions of the era. The woman's elaborate hat and fashionable dress mark her as part of "society"—the upper-class social set. The implication is that only society people track Easter's date, while ordinary men like "Billy" remain unaware. This mocks both the pretensions of the wealthy elite and the apparent uselessness of their knowledge. The ornamental left border contains various small vignettes typical of *Life's* decorative style.