Life — January 10, 1907 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is a satirical illustration titled "Pittsburgh Holds Its Annual Bal Masque" (Ball Masquerade), signed by what appears to be "Harry Cady." The cartoon depicts a chaotic, fantastical party scene with elaborately costumed figures—including people in elaborate masks, period costumes, and theatrical dress—mingling in an ornate interior setting. The satire appears to target Pittsburgh's wealthy elite and their pretentious masquerade balls. The exaggerated, grotesque character designs and crowded composition mock the artificiality and excess of high-society social events. The "bal masque" tradition allowed attendees to wear masks and costumes, which the cartoonist uses metaphorically to critique the hypocrisy and hidden nature of the city's upper class. The wild, almost demonic quality of the figures suggests mockery of their pretensions to refinement.