Judge — October 11, 1919 — page 36: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) advertisement for their product "Oysterettes"—oyster-shaped crackers. The image shows a stylized silhouette of what appears to be a well-dressed man in formal attire eating or serving the crackers, with actual oysters depicted nearby and a box of Oysterettes visible. The advertisement's appeal relies on associating the crackers with upscale dining—they're positioned as accompaniments to sophisticated dishes like oyster stew, soups, salads, and chowders. The elegant presentation and formal dress of the figure suggest these are premium foods for refined diners. This represents early 20th-century food marketing, when crackers marketed as "gourmet" accompaniments to shellfish and fancy soups represented aspirational consumer goods for middle and upper-class households.