Life, 1896-05-21 · page 18 of 20
Life — May 21, 1896 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **product advertisement page** from *Life* magazine, not a political cartoon. It contains no satire or social commentary—just vintage advertising from the early 1900s. The page features remedies and luxury goods marketed to affluent readers: perfume (4711 Rhine Violets), patent medicines (Blair's Pills for gout/rheumatism), whiskey ("Old Crow Rye"), bicycles (Stearns, Hartford, Mesinger brands), tires (Hartford rubber), champagne (Veuve Clicquot), chocolate (Whitman's), and corsetry (Janowitz's Duplex Eagle Dress Bone). The "Consider the Lilies, How They Grow" section uses biblical language as a whimsical hook to sell whiskey—contrasting natural growth with Old Crow's "superior quality" and higher cost. These ads reflect Gilded Age consumer culture: medical quackery, conspicuous consumption, and gendered marketing ("Busy Women should use...Chocolate").
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
WHITMAN’ Busy mone INSTANTANESUS should use—\" CHOCOLATE. PPCUUUUUIUUUESTTT OS apts 1 Blair's Pills Great English Remedy tor GOUT and RHEUMATISM. SAFE, SURE, EFFECTIVE, or 2% William St., New York.' or . non-injurious and com- Rune = VIOLETS denabis Vor testocaet rides. It's the rattan makes tHe QUanN oF PERFUMES it what it is, because it is not affected by va - If you want a real Violet dampness and can- Ww LABEL"SEC" Perfume, be sure you Le Rot stretch, YELOW LABEL eC GOLD LABEL "BRUT: 4711 Rhine Violets . " eae Mesinger Eamets lutely true to the flower. sao Kgonts wanted, exclusive territory. Cut this advertisement HULBERT BROS, & Co., "ime @ tree" CYCLES out and show it to your out as Majestic Bicycles, v yy RUN 2 26 W. 23d Street, MOLHENS & KROPFY, New York, U.8.Ageata New York. ROUSE,HAZARD&G Makers, 1980 Sty PEQRIAILL, Consider the Lilies, ant BETTER S THAN How They Grow. > You may also consider how our “Old Crow RYE” ‘ows in the public's estimation and lemand. The reason of which is, its superior quality, its honorable reputation, its history of years of uninterrupted popular approval. It positively costs more the day it is J made than any other whiskey made in the United States. No other house can bottle it. See that the word “ RYE ” is on the label in large red letters and our firm name on case, cork, capsule and label. FOR SALE EVERYWHERE, H. B. KIRK & CO., (ESTABLISHED 1853.) FOR SAMPLE ADORESS FREE jcutcs JANOWITZ, 135 Grande, 3.7. [+ wo! tI é 69 Fulton St., also Broadway & 27th St. HARTFORD. CONN. |: New York. SHeARNS BIGYGLES Phe Stea a omaodern wheel vammeed ce and Stearns sury 1L.G. Slearns & Go. Syracuse,