Life — February 17, 1910 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is a cover from *Life* magazine (dated February 17, 1910, per the library stamp). The illustration shows a woman's face with an elaborate, voluminous hat and the caption "DEEP SEA EYES." The satire targets early 1910s women's fashion, specifically the enormous decorative hats that were fashionable at the time. The phrase "deep sea eyes" is a humorous reference to how a woman's eyes appear tiny and recessed—almost invisible—when framed by such a massive hat. The "motorboat number" in the headline suggests the hat resembles a boat in size and shape. This mocks the absurdity of contemporary haute couture, where practical concerns were sacrificed entirely for dramatic, oversized accessories that literally obscured the wearer's face. It's social satire about fashion excess.