Life, 1898-03-17 · page 17 of 20
Life — March 17, 1898 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily an **advertising page** from an early-20th-century American satirical magazine, containing no political cartoons or satire requiring historical context. The ads reflect period attitudes toward health and consumer products: - **Vigoral** (beef extract) and **Johann Hoffs Malt Extract** promise physical rejuvenation—typical of an era when patent medicines made extravagant health claims without regulation. - **Rubifoam** toothpaste uses exaggerated promises ("Every Drop...") common in unregulated advertising. - **Columbia bicycles** emphasize the "graceful" frame as appealing to women—bicycles were genuinely revolutionary for female mobility and independence in this era. - **St. Raphael Wine** and **Blair's Pills** represent medicinal products marketed as cure-alls. The celebrity endorsements (Kendal, Bernhardt, Calve) indicate how early advertising borrowed star power. The overall tone reflects an unregulated marketplace where dubious health claims were standard marketing practice—a context modern readers would find shocking.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-LIFE: “Perfectly Fit” = Refreshed, inspired, strengthened, That's how you always feel if you drink Jigs utriment of prime beef, deliciously prepared, Especially beneficial for and for athletes in training. “Prepared in a minute, with cold or hot Sold by druggists and grocers, Armour & Company, Chicago. ious Views on Vigoral” mailed free. Every Drop is Perfectly Pure. Every Drop Cleanses the Mouth, eo Every Drop Polishes the Teeth. is Easy to Pa ; | Every Drop Hardens the Gums. S PREMIUMS QtAnteatr on weexcy. ; : Every Drop ts Free from Grit. Every Drop is a Fragrant Breath. | Every Drop is Delicious and Harmless. INSURANCE Co. OF AMERICA STRENGTH OF |‘ p.GIBRALTARS LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES “aa ae For BOTH SEXES, ALL AGES from 1 to 7o. From $50,000 to $15.00. TI HOME OFFICE, NEWARK, N Bows F. DRYDEN, = Prcsioenr e ‘Jo ‘Women pronounce the Columbia Loop Frame the most graceful of all bicycles. POPE MFG. CO., Hartford. Conn. Catalogue free from any Columbia dealer, or of the ~~ “ by mail for one 2-cent stamp. | "urope aa aT TPeTTT eae : MRS KENDAL SAYS MELBATSAYS CALVE! savs~ PYSARAH BERNHARDT. sivs - {i Se eee eee wanes FLESH 4x? BLOOD. yioLETTES,, cZAR\ (czar’s Violets) sereare™™ tie SO delicious dessert 4 - Wine and PERFUMES i z France, and used in \S LATEST NOVELTIES SPECIALLY RECOMMENDED : Paris hospitals for 30 ROYAL CELLET (carnation) — GRANDE DOCHESSE, FORRIA of JAPAN fee 2 L.. LEGRAND (0f/24-PERFUMERY). 11, Place de la Madeleine, PARIS Groggists sell it, Purity euar- aye SN N"N anteed by U.S. Custom House GM Eo™ AT -~ GEN THROAT EASE ane Breath PERFUME