Life, 1908-07-02 · page 29 of 40
Life — July 2, 1908 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **piano advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. It shows Chickering & Sons, a Boston piano manufacturer established in 1823, promoting their grand pianos. The image depicts an elegant interior scene: a woman seated at a grand piano beneath an open-roof conservatory or garden room, with ivy-covered walls and manicured grounds visible beyond. An umbrella leans nearby, suggesting leisurely outdoor-adjacent music-making. The advertisement emphasizes the piano's quality through claims of "eighty-five years of piano building," superior "tone, touch and staying power," and prestigious acceptance in "exclusive musical circles." The ornate typography and refined aesthetic appeal to wealthy, cultured consumers for whom owning a fine piano signified sophistication and social status. This represents typical early-20th-century luxury goods marketing—associating the product with elegance, tradition, and exclusivity rather than practical utility.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
KE RESULT Of SKILL, inspired | by a keen appreciation of the artistic and a desire to live up to an enviable reputa- tion, directed by the latest scientific knowledge, and practical experience gained by eighty-five years of piano building. @ The resulting ex- cellence, both as to tone, touch and general staying power, is the reason and the only reason for the uniformly bigh favor in which: it is held in exclusive musical circles. .@ It is con- ceded to be a standard of comparison for all other makes. Made Solely by CHICKERING & SONS 796 Tremont Street PIANOFORTE MAKERS Boston, Mass. Established 1823 29 comicbooks.com