Judge, 1916-06-17 · page 2 of 28
Judge — June 17, 1916 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **commercial advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. It promotes Columbia's "Double-Disc Records" featuring three opera singers: Giovanni Zenatello (Italian tenor), an unnamed performer in the center image (playing cello, depicted in a medieval scene), and Mary Garden (identified as "Greatest Exponent of Modern French Opera"). The ad's appeal is straightforward: Columbia claims their recordings capture artists' "personal charms" and "inspired touches of art" better than competitors. The text argues that hearing these records is nearly equivalent to experiencing live performances. The only potentially satirical element is the phrase "records of life—mirrors of truth—reality," which somewhat grandly overstates the fidelity of early phonograph technology. Otherwise, this is direct product marketing to affluent consumers interested in opera.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
GIOVANNI ZENATELLO World-Famous Italian Operatic Tenor Modern French Opa (Makes records exclusively for the Columbia) The Tromba Marina of the Middle A ges, the Ancestar of the Violin (Makes records exclusively for the Columbia) "THE tone of Columbia reproductions preserves the personal charms of the singer, the inspired touches of art that distinguish the great voice from the commonplace. Excepting the actual presence of the artist, a Columbia Record by Zenatello, or Garden or Fremstad or Scott or Dufranne is a duplica- tion of the delight of hearing any of these artists in person. Hear these records—then ask your dealer to play some Columbia orchestral records, or band or instrumental trio selections. You will need no other proof to convince youthat Columbia Records are records of life —mirrors of truth—reality! New Columbia Records on sale the 20th of every month Columbia. Records comicbooks.com