Life, 1902-03-20 · page 20 of 20
Life — March 20, 1902 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is not a political cartoon but a **full-page advertisement** for Crawford Shoe Makers, dated March 20, 1909. The image features two crowned lions as heraldic supporters flanking a large crown and shield containing the product name and price ($3.50). The design mimics European royal coat-of-arms imagery, suggesting luxury and prestige. The advertisement claims their spring shoes possess "individuality" and "high-grade" quality with perfect fit. It lists retail locations in New York, Baltimore, and Washington, plus a mail-order department in New York City and factories in Brockton, Massachusetts. The heraldic lion imagery was common in period advertising to convey quality, tradition, and superiority—appealing to early-20th-century consumers' aspirations toward refined taste. This represents typical early-1900s magazine advertising practice rather than satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
bh AA. _——_—E_=! i) Se Our Spring Styles have that *‘‘ individuality” which is the marked characteristic of the high-grade shoe. STYLES NEWEST—QUALITY NOT EQUALLED—FIT PERFECT Men's Stores Women's Stores ., Crawford Bidg., 54 West 234 St, New York. 208 E. B t., Baltimore. 187 Fulton St., New York. 01 25 Broadway, New York. re v. 125th St, New York, enosylvania Ave., Washington, | 433 Fulton St, Brooklyn, CRAWFORD SHOE MAKERS Mail Order Department, Room I, 140 Duane Street, New York City, U.S. A. FACTORIES: New York City; Brockton, Mass. PRESS OF THE 4, W. PRATT Cov NEW YORK. comicbooks.com