Life, 1903-09-03 · page 31 of 32
Life — September 3, 1903 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily an **advertising page** from an early 1900s issue of Life magazine, not a political cartoon. It contains five product advertisements typical of the era: 1. **Goerz Lens** (camera equipment) - uses the metaphor that a camera lens is like the human eye; defective vision produces defective images. 2. **Edison Phonograph** - promotes the gramophone as home entertainment, emphasizing its superiority over competitors. 3. **Searchmont Automobile** ($2,500) - claims reliability through rigorous testing and success in 1902 endurance contests; markets itself as "America's Leading Automobile." 4. **The Real Safety Razor** - distinguishes itself from other "safety razors" by claiming superior design and materials. 5. **President Suspenders** (partially visible) - standard apparel advertisement. The page reflects early 20th-century consumer culture and advertising claims emphasizing technological reliability and superiority. No satire or political content is evident; this represents straightforward commercial messaging of the period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“ 99% of Camera Value is in the Lens" If Your Eyes are defective you cannot sce clear! you do not get a perfect image. The lens is the cye of the camera; if you do not have a pertect lens, you cannot make a perfect picture. THE GOERZ LENS is recognized by leading photographers and experts as the finest lens in the world, Your dealer will fit a Goerz Lens to your camera if told to do so, Write for New Descriptive catalogue. C. P. GOERZ, Room 53, 52 E. Union Square, N. Y. The EDISON PHONOGRAPH The Phonograph is the most delightful of all home entertainments. Don’t buy any talking machine until you have heard the Phonograph at the nearest dealer's. 6000 STORES SELL PHONCGRAPHS WITH MR. THIZON'S RECENT WONDERFUL IMPROVEMENTS. National Phonograph Co., Orange, N. J. SEW YORE BAN PIEANETSCO . Yaa Market Ste M, 84 Rempart Kalet Georges “Most Reliable Car Built” + We arrived In splendid shape, having ridden over the worst monntain roads in the State of Penossivania, aud over utomodi re, [cannot say enough for thecar, We nctually dl se ui op wi ne, She bebaved wonderfully, and {honestly do not believe there 1s another car butt that would reach Binghatmton from Philadelphia over the road w 1 certainly will recommend the Searchmont as being the most reitable car built.” Every owner of a Searchmont has this experience. We build the to be Reliable, and it ¢s Reliable. We make sure of the Reliability by testing the measurement of every part to the thousandth of an inch. We prove the Reliability by the road test before we send out a Seanchmont. We have proved the Reliability by our 100 percent records with all our cars in all the Endurance Contests of 1902. Reliability is the main thing and the Seanchmont is, besides, the handsomest car in the world, It is easily “America’s Leading Automobile” Send for Catalogue D Ww YORK DETROIT WH, Weber ae 3 ake WASHINGTON : Chaa ke Miller & Bro, Automobile Co Chas hmont Automobile Co., North American Building, Philadelphia (Member of the Assoc Licensed Automobite Manufacturers) Factories: Searchmont (near Chester) Pa. A New Kind of Razor You'll be surprised at the way The Real” Safety Razor shaves— different trom other razor. t shaves clean and keen— smooth and easy, It doesn*t pull or break hairs, She Real” is the only perfect razor for sef/-sharing. The rigid handle and the antlout guard make it beiter than the ordinary razor—betler control of the —piteker cork possible ro cutting. t "s better than other” safety razors" because it'sa razor—not a SAFETY RAZOR hoc. Made of the tery flneat razor steel—full concare—2Y in, blade, A $2 bill bays it—of your dealer if he has it—if not, from us, If the first share laut right—you may have your money back, ade on face, strop or hone— GEO. W. KORN RAZOR MFG. CO., Dept. E, Little Valley, N.Y. Agents Wanted Everywhere. [PRESIDENT SUSPENDER comicbooks.com