Life, 1887-12-15 · page 16 of 16
Life — December 15, 1887 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily an **advertising page**, not a political cartoon. The page features Victorian-era product advertisements for luxury and everyday goods: pianos, champagne, cocoa, soap, and patent medicines. The most notable image is **Pears' Soap's large central advertisement**, featuring a painting titled "Bubbles" by Sir John Millais (a famous Pre-Raphaelite artist). The company purchased the painting for $11,000—a significant sum at the time—to use as their brand image. The advertisement claims the soap improves complexion and was endorsed by celebrities like actress Lillie Langtry and opera singer Adelina Patti. Other ads include **Baker's Breakfast Cocoa** (emphasizing purity and strength), **Delbeck Champagne**, and **Dr. Scott's Electric Belts**—a common patent medicine of the era claiming health benefits through electricity. The page reflects late-Victorian consumer culture and the emerging practice of using celebrity endorsements and famous artwork in advertising.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
[Dec, 15, 1887. MATCHLESS PIANOS Paillard’s Music BOXES ARE THE BEST. They play selections-from all the Standard and Light Operas and the most Popular Music of the Day. Send stamp for Descriptive Price List to M. J. PAILLARD & (0, 680 Broadway, New York City. (Factory ar STE. CROIX, SWITZERLAND.) DELBECK+ EXTRA DRY and 2; i t i Procurable Everywhere. y 2 3 We offer the DELBECK CHAMPAGNES with a full conviction that there are no better wines imported. WE EXCEPT NONE. E. LAMONTAGNE & SONS, 53, 55 and 57 Beaver Street. GOLD MEDAL, PARIS, 18 BAKER’S Breakfast Cocoa. Warranted absolutely pure Cocoa, from which the excess of Oil has been removed. It has three times the strength of Cocoa mixed with Starch, Arrowroot or Sugar,and is therefore far more eco- nomical, costing ‘one cent a cup. It is delicious, 1 , Strengthening, easily digested, and admirably adapted for invalids as well as for persons in health, Sold by Grocers everywhere. W. BAKER & CO., Dorchester, Mass, Ly FoR IMPROVING “> THE COMPLEXION ARD PREVENTING REDNESS ROUGHNESS AND CHAPPING RECOMMENDED BY MRS.[ANGTRY. MADAME PATTI §e AND OBTAINED tay reRNATIONN MEDAL ee x ; = LDPMIGAT TP TRTAT RAGE | “BUBBLES” FROM THE CELEBRATED PICTURE BY sin JOH MALS BART AA. (in THE POSSESSION OF THE PROPRIETORS OF PEARS SOAP PURCHASED BY THEM FOR $11,000] PROFIT and SAMPLES FREE men canvassers for Dr. Scott's Gen- 100 perc * uine Electric Belts, Brushes, ete: Lady agents wanted ,for Electric Corsets. Quick sales. Write at once for terms. Dr. Scott, 842 B’way, N.Y. Care Gr Bey we See Eto MARE CHALE-BOUT MARE CHALE -EXTRA DRY EVELT y Howiann 55-457 BEAVER St NY Manes TOR ih eS i s Ds sv0ee | wunrteMORES ocr pRessinG | TET LT EDGE ORESSIN' Asitwitt NOTINJURE them Press oF Futmno, BaewsTen & Acity, 31-33 West Twenty-Twino SrReeT, New Yorn comicbooks.com