Judge — May 13, 1911 — page 24: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a **cigarette advertisement**, not a political cartoon. It features a fashionable woman in profile wearing an enormous, elaborate hat typical of early 20th-century haute couture. The ad uses the metaphor of "vintage" wine to market La Marquise cigarettes as a premium product of superior quality. The accompanying text claims: "Nature poured the fragrant treasure of two summers into one—she gave a richer crop—a 'vintage.'" This compares the cigarettes' quality to fine wine aging, suggesting luxury and refinement. The advertisement targets affluent consumers, particularly women, by associating the product with elegance and sophistication. The "Marquise" branding itself evokes French aristocratic prestige. This represents early 20th-century marketing strategies linking tobacco products to fashion and status.