Life, 1896-02-06 · page 19 of 20
Life — February 6, 1896 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Pabst Malt Extract advertisement**, not a political cartoon. The left column contains health claims for the product, marketed as a tonic for recovery from illness and nervousness—typical of early 20th-century patent medicine advertising. The right side features an **ornate, German-inspired design** celebrating Pabst's brewing heritage and awards. The text explicitly states "The art of brewing was developed by the Germans," capitalizing on the association between German craftsmanship and beer quality—a major marketing angle for American breweries of this era. The elaborate decorative architecture and heraldic imagery are meant to evoke Old World prestige and legitimacy. The "Supreme Award World's Fair" reference indicates Pabst won recognition at a major exposition. This reflects the pre-Prohibition era when malt extract was marketed as medicinal and nutritious, before regulations restricted health claims for alcohol-adjacent products.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Pabst... Malt Extract The “Best” Tonte Now # Pabst Malt Extract # is an essence of all the concentrated nour- Se cate comin tee quieting nerve-soothin: in combination. The food part of br vitality, life, while you are nervous, the quiet you down, give you a calm mind, and if taken just before you go to bed, will Ret rou to deep #8 sound a8. tops ’e don't like to tempt you ther A i you By ee can read on a little fu: wantto.# It is as palatable as itcan be, not sweet and sticky. # There is fo one recovering from any disease who will not find it a ie our turn, now it’s your turn FHP HAAAAAAAS To Buy MILWAUKEE BEER IS FAMOUS DABST HAS MADE IT SO. SUPREME AWARD WORLD S FAIR arn THE ART OF BREWING WAS DEVELODED BY TNE GERMANS YZ comicbooks.com