Life, 1905-06-01 · page 52 of 52
Life — June 1, 1905 — page 52: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Kodak camera advertisement** (not satire) from June 1, 1905, featuring an illustration titled "The Kodak Girl in Fair Japan." The drawing depicts a Western woman in a rickshaw being pulled by a Japanese man—a colonial-era image reflecting how the West then viewed Japan. The woman holds a camera, suggesting leisure tourism. The ad promotes **Kodak's "simplicity"** marketing strategy: cameras required "no dark-room, few chemicals, little bother," making photography accessible to casual users rather than technical specialists. This was genuinely revolutionary; earlier cameras were complex. The price range ($5.29–$108.22) indicates models for various budgets. The exotic "Fair Japan" setting appeals to aspirational customers imagining travel and documenting adventures. There's no political satire here—this is straightforward period advertising that reveals contemporary attitudes about Western women, empire, and consumer leisure.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
June 1, 1905, The Kodak Girl in Fair Japan Drawn for Eastman Kodak Co., by C. Allan Gilbert e e e Kodak Simplicity has removed most of the opportunities for making mistakes. No dark-room, few chemicals, little bother. Kodaks, $5.29 to $108.22 $e.000 i prises for Kedub pictures, EASTMAN KODAK CoO. Mr nan Rochester, N. Y. dealers or by mail, SEAMAN,