Life — April 13, 1922 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Under the Lilacs" - Life Magazine, April 1, 1922 This is a humorous illustration by Will Ranwell featuring a Boston Terrier wearing an elaborate, flower-decorated hat with a large bow tie. The dog's expression is somewhat bemused or dignified. The caption "Under the Lilacs" likely references the sentimental 1878 Louisa May Alcott novel of the same name. The satire appears to mock high-fashion women's hats of the 1920s era—absurdly overdecorated with flowers and ribbons—by placing such a ridiculous confection on a dog's head. The joke suggests these elaborate hats were so ornate and impractical that even a dog wearing one looks equally foolish. This reflects period humor about women's fashion excess and the Jazz Age's sometimes over-the-top aesthetic conventions.