Life, 1907-04-25 · page 24 of 24
Life — April 25, 1907 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **product advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes Pompeian Massage Cream to male barber customers. The image shows a barber applying cream to a client's face after shaving, illustrating the advertised benefit: the cream allegedly cleanses pores clogged by soap residue, preventing blackheads and skin irritation. The ad's persuasive angle targets barbers directly, emphasizing that "a really good barber" will use only genuine Pompeian—not cheap imitations—because he "knows" it's the best product. This appeals to professional pride while warning against substitutes that harm skin. The text also notes that "most women" value the product for maintaining clear skin, broadening its market appeal beyond men's grooming. By 1907 standards, this represents typical early 20th-century advertising that combines pseudo-scientific claims about skin health with social status messaging—presenting the product as a mark of quality and respectability.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Apel 25. 1907 Mg eae Soap-and-water washing and shaving both leave the pores full of soap and other foreign matter. This mat- ter hardens into blackheads, or clogs ‘the pores so that the skin becomes muddy, sallow and unhealthy. To get the face really clean and to cure and prevent shaving soreness, ask the barber to give you a massage with Pompeian Massage Cream after the shave. Say “Pompeian Massage ’’— not merely “a massage.” It will clean your face thoroughly and scientifically, leaving the pores clear, the muscles pliant, and the blood-vessels active. One test will demonstrate the truth of these claims. A really good barber will not attempt to foist a substitute upon you, for he knows that Pompeian is the only safe and genuine massage cream. The very few barbers who use imitations do not do it for your good, but for a larger profit—so it is always well to ask to see the Pompeian jar before the cream is applied. Better do without a massage than risk a cheap cream. If you shave yourself or wish to massage yourself, you can get Pompeian Massage Cream of your druggist for home But do not allow either barber or fe an imitation. No imitation has the qualities of the genuine and many of the imitations are actually harmful. - Pompeian cannot postly injure the most delicate skin, Most women to-day recognize the value of this preparation in maintaining a clean, clear, healthy skin. It con- tains no grease and makes the use of face powders unnecessary. It is a real addition to the dressing table. GENEROUS SAMPLE MAILED FREE Send your name to-day—we also send a complete book on Facial Massage, an invaluable guide to the care of the skin. POMPEIAN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 25 Prospect Street, Cleveland, Ohio Pompeian Massage Soap. A high-grade toilet article, healing and refreshing, but not bighly perfumed. It is for sale by dealers everywhere. 25 cents a cake. 60 cents Box of 3 cakes. dvertisement is appearing in papers and magazines with over 30,000,000 readers—it shows our faith in the barbers as well as in Pompeian Cream comicbooks.com