Judge — April 30, 1898 — page 20: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a **wine advertisement**, not a political cartoon. It's a full-page ad for Montebello Champagne by Alfred de Montebello & Co., positioned in *Judge* magazine. The headline uses humor to market the product: "The Only French Wine That Will Not Cause a Headache." This plays on the common complaint that French wines—particularly cheaper varieties or those "charged with brandy"—caused headaches, likely from additives or poor quality. The ad claims Montebello's superiority through purity ("perfectly dry, but not acid") and social prestige ("wine of royalty and society"). The right column makes a health claim: the wine is beneficial for "convalescents or persons weakened from any cause, even old age"—a common medicinal pitch for wines in this era, before modern FDA regulations prohibited such claims. The heraldic coat of arms adds legitimacy and aristocratic cachet. This is straightforward advertising using period conventions of class aspiration and dubious health claims.