Life, 1901-08-22 · page 9 of 20
Life — August 22, 1901 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 149 This page contains a satirical comic strip about business and advertising. The main illustration shows a woman with "true social instinct" and a man in conversation. The dialogue concerns a character planning to launch an advertising campaign, boasting he can make anything "catching and attractive" through proper marketing. The satire targets turn-of-the-century advertising hype and snake-oil salesmanship. A sign advertises "Why Catch Cold / When You Can Catch Health?"—mocking exaggerated health product claims. The accompanying illustration of a disease germ character ("A Combination Tea-Caddie") personifies germs as cartoon villains, satirizing the era's emerging germ-theory medicine and how companies exploited public health fears for profit through dubious products and inspection schemes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Copyright, 1908, by Lise Pubzisning Oo I'm just off to put it in operation.” And away he went, “Well! I'm just a plain d——d fool,” mourned the Disease Germ to himself. “If that fellow turns out to be a hustler, my business is gone. I won't dare say a word of this to the rest of my firm. Whoever would have thought that old Health Germ, after all these years, would go into the advertising business? Most of these old- established concerns stick out against it— and there's where we have ’em on the hip. Well, it all depends on his agents and his posters. He certainly can make them catch- ing and attractive if he knows how, but” — and he cheered wu: ibly — ‘* we have Fear on our side, and he’s surely the best printer's devil in any one's employ.” Taking courage She: VMAVE THE TRUE SOCIAL INSTINCT. “Yes. YoU Do GLORY IN DEBT AND DysPersia.”* from this consoling thought, he raised his eyes—only to be staggered by a large sign, in red letters on a yellow background : WHY CATCH COLD WHEN YC Te HE! The Health Germ Company has reopened its business after extensive alterations and improveme INSPECTION INVITED. Come to headquarters for information. Shun “ Health Office.” “Good gracious!” groaned the Disease Germ, as it burst upon him, ‘he hasn't lost any time. I see my finish!” ELK. C. Gause. HT 2, Zs A COMBINATION TEA-CADDIE.