Life, 1907-07-25 · page 21 of 22
Life — July 25, 1907 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Schlitz beer advertisement**, not a political cartoon. It appeared in *Life* magazine during the early 20th century. The ad argues that quality beer depends primarily on **purity** rather than ingredients. Schlitz claims to prioritize purity above all else, spending more on this than any other brewing cost. The message emphasizes that pure beer contains no germs and won't cause illness—framing beer consumption as actually beneficial to health. This reflects the era's concerns about contaminated food and beverages, which were genuine public health issues before modern food safety regulations. The ad's tagline, "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous," references Milwaukee's prominence as a major brewing center. The decorative hop imagery frames this as a premium product. Readers should note this predates the FDA's modern regulations; such health claims would be illegal in contemporary advertising.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
What Quali Mess Among the best beers, the differences are not largely due to materials. ’Twould be folly to skimp there. Most differences in taste are due to the skill, or lack of skill, in the brewing. And to the yeast. But quality refers, above all, to the purity. Pure beer has no germs in it, and it does not cause bilious- ness. It is not only good, but good for you. Purity is rare because it is costly. And because its lack is not easily noticed. But in Schlitz beer it is the first requirement. We spend more to attain it than on e any other cost of our brewing. Ask for the Brewery Bottling. c See that the cork or Th e B e e r crown is branded Schlitz. That Made Milwaukee Famous. comicbooks.com,