Life — September 17, 1903 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This illustration depicts **Mr. Pettekin Pipes of New York** enjoying a season with **the [Pony Club]** (text is partially cut off). The image shows a man in formal dress on the right, holding reins attached to a team of horses pulling what appears to be a sleigh or carriage across a snowy landscape. The satire likely mocks wealthy New York society's leisure pursuits—specifically the fashionable practice of winter sports and exclusive club memberships among the upper class. Pettekin Pipes appears to be a satirical character name itself (suggesting pretension and affectation). The exaggerated scene of him commanding multiple horses suggests both his wealth and perhaps the absurdity of such extravagant pastimes, typical of *Life* magazine's social commentary on the privileged classes.