Life, 1903-02-05 · page 22 of 24
Life — February 5, 1903 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The Image:** The artwork depicts a dramatic historical scene of soldiers in combat—appearing to show a defensive last stand with figures wielding weapons against attackers. **The Advertisement Context:** This is primarily a **product advertisement page** for Smith & Wesson revolvers, not political satire. The cartoon serves as marketing material, not commentary. **The Sales Pitch:** The text claims the U.S. Government has endorsed Smith & Wesson revolvers for soldiers, arguing they instill "confidence" in dangerous situations. It's designed to associate the product with military authority and reliability. **What Modern Readers Miss:** In early 20th-century America, government endorsements carried significant marketing weight. This ad exploits patriotic confidence in military institutions to sell weapons to civilians. The dramatic "last stand" imagery creates emotional investment in the product's protective promise. The page is mostly **period advertising**—for Londonderry water, violins, cigars, and whiskey alongside the revolver ad—typical of Life magazine's revenue model.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
the water that every expert cluband hotel waiter always serves to particular people. They know that it lends zest to the appetite and blends perfectly with wines and liquors. Rare Old’ Violins Lancent and finest collection on this contineet ing the complete celebrated Mawes at 7 Hoh Shoals Servet, 190, ev erTa & W008 so Moline neat of ¥ a Formal certibese “THE LAST STAND” fra withveach instrament FTER exhaustive tests the United States Government has put LYON& HEALY, ae Smith & Wesson Revolvers in the hands of its soldiers, Soldier and civilian alike meet dangerous needs with the confidence that no other revolver but a Smith & Wesson gives. Smoking 1 Smith & Wesson pict toches in size, rea a the frame. are genuine. Dan Smith. SMITH & WESSON 42 STOCKBRIDGE STREET SPRINGFIELD, MASS. Made in the old-fashioned honest way of Pure Habana _ Tobacco , delightfully bi Boston to Queenstown and Liverpool f oluhtiully blended Fast Twin-screw Steamers y oe orcas at teo ton poole for the Bull 10,000 to ‘ eee tone og on each Box MEDITERRANEAN SERVICE Wa Nore e eteee Prine ins Jehn W. Merriam & Co. andrh ed Booklet, A DOMINION. LINE The Roycroft Segar Shop, which ef is “At the Sign of the Bull Dog” NEW YORK OLD CROW RYE s=retor WHISKEY sore sorrness, ‘sev vork. comicbooks.com