Life, 1896-09-10 · page 20 of 20
Life — September 10, 1896 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **product advertisement**, not political satire. The page promotes "Pratt Fasteners"—small devices that prevent shoelaces from coming untied without requiring knots. The cartoon caption shows two well-dressed figures by a pond or stream; one notices the other's shoe laces are secured and asks how they knew about the fasteners. It's a lighthearted vignette meant to demonstrate the product's appeal and visibility. The humor is gentle and social: the implication is that using these fasteners is becoming a recognizable status marker among fashionable people—you can tell someone is "in the know" by spotting them. The advertisement emphasizes that fasteners prevent the everyday frustration of constantly retying low shoes, a genuine inconvenience for the era, particularly for women. The copy stresses convenience and availability at "the best Shoe Stores," positioning the product as modern and desirable.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
September 19, “1 SEE YOU yk THOSE PRATT FASTENERS ON YOUR TIES.” “Y-E-E-S—BUT HOW DID You KNOW IT?" prevent shoe laces from coming € ratt asteners “untied” —“ slipping” —“ get- ing loose ’—“ dangling” and “dragging.” Every woman in the world has had cause to wish that there was some- thing that would do this! It is almost impossible to keep “low shoes” tied. They persist in coming untied when most inconvenient and awkward to retie them. THE PRATT FASTENERS hold the shoe laces without tying any knot. The end of each lace is drawn through the fastener (no larger than an eyelet) and is held securely without a knot. They do not add anything to the cost of your shoes and they are a real convenience. All the best Shoe Stores have them now. Please ask for them and-insist upon having them. Your shoe dealer can get them for you. For Men’s Shoes: Boys’ Shoes: Children’s Shoes: Bicycle and all athletic Shoes. Shoe Manufacturers and Dealers will receive terms and fall information from Pratt Fastener Company. 72 Lincoln St., Lincoln Building, Boston. 200 Market St., Chicago. comicbooks.com