Life, 1902-11-27 · page 26 of 26
Life — November 27, 1902 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a full-page advertisement, not political satire. Armour & Company, a major Chicago meatpacking firm, promoted their 1903 calendar featuring six illustrated "girl" portraits by prominent commercial artists of the era (Harrison Fisher, Henry Hutt, W.T. Smedley, Walter Appleton Clark, A.B. Wenzell, and Thomas Mitchell Peirce). The gimmick: consumers could obtain the calendar by sending 25 cents or a metal jar cap from Armour's Extract of Beef. The ad emphasizes the calendar's artistic legitimacy—drawn "expressly" for this use and reproduced via new printing techniques on quality paper. This exemplifies early 1900s advertising strategy: linking consumer products to high-art imagery and attractive imagery to drive brand loyalty. The "girl" motifs (Winter Girl, Yachting Girl, Opera Girl, etc.) appealed to middle-class aspirations while making beef extract seem fashionable and refined.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
November 27, 1902. Sammer yen Harrison Fisher Yachti in chare ARMOUR’S Art Calendar =FOR 190 3=— Consists of a Winter Girl, by Harrison Fisher, in crayon; Home Girl, by Thomas Mitchell Peirce, in lead pencil; Summer Girl, by Henry Hutt, in wash; Yachting Girl, by W. T. Smedley, in charcoal; Horsewoman, by Walter Appleton Clark, in oil wash; Opera Girl, by A. B. Wenzell, in pure wash. These drawings were all made expressly for this particular use, and have been reproduced by a new fac simile proc- ess and printed in Whatman paper effect. They possess all the value of the originals and in every respect look like sketches. This beautiful calendar (6 sheets, rox1s,) will be sent postpaid to any address on receipt of 25 cents or metal cap from jar of ARMOUR’S EXTRACT of BEEF The Best Extract of the Best Beef for preparing Good Things forthe Thanksgiving Dinner. It gives flavor, substance and a tempting color to soups, gravies, entrees, etc. Art Plate Offer We have a small edition of our calendar designs as art plates for framing or portfolio. These are printed on rough drawing paper, 11 x 17 inches, with calendar dates and adver- tising matter eliminated, and will be sent single for 25 cents (metal caps from jars of Extract will be accepted as equivalent of 25 cents) or the six complete for $1.00. ARMOVR COMPANY CHICAGO Copyright, 1902, Armoar & Co., Chicago. Opera Girl Pin wash A.B, Wenzel Horeewoman Home Girl in lead peneil by Thomas Mitchell Peirce comicbooks.com