Image: 1870-London-season-cartoon

Description: "The Coming Season", an 1870 cartoon satirizing the London social "season", as printed or reprinted in Harper's Bazar magazine. The main theme is young upper-class women (and some not-so-young) determined to find a husband during the social events (balls etc.) of the season. Vignettes include coming "out"; being presented at court; mothers on the hunt for an eligible matrimonial "catch" for their daughters, especially among the scions of nobility; a girl triumphantly throwing aside her books on being promoted from the schoolroom to the ballroom; changing fashions in artificial hair-buns, etc. Captions in image: Depictions of five women: "Coming out" "Came out last Season" "Will conquer or Die" "Didn't come out yesterday" "Not shelved yet" (examining herself critically in mirror) Depictions of two mothers: "The Dowager's Stud Book" (poring over PEERAGE book listing aristocratic heirs) "Four girls to commoners... the fifth must have a coronet." [i.e. of nobility] "Engines of war" (beautifying implements) " A propos de bottes" (rummaging through drawers, big pile of shoes on the floor) "A royal Salute" (deep curtsey as one is formally "presented" to royalty)
Title: 1870-London-season-cartoon
Credit: Ultimately from Harper's Bazar; scanned by H. Churchyard from The Wonderful World of Ladies' Fashion: 1850-1920, edited by Joseph J. Schroeder, Jr.
Author: unknown 1870 artist
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No