Life, 1908-07-09 · page 20 of 20
Life — July 9, 1908 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Budweiser beer advertisement** disguised as historical editorial content, dated July 9, 1908. The left side presents a romanticized biography of James Monroe (Fifth President), emphasizing his patriotism, military service, and gentlemanly character—culminating with the detail that "good ale was brewed and ever on his board." This appeals to readers' patriotic sentiment and suggests beer-drinking is consistent with American virtue. The right side is the actual advertisement: Budweiser claims superiority through a conditional logic device. It asserts that only when conditions become impossibly superior (better barley, hops, water, and brewing science than currently exist) could a better beer be made—*then* Budweiser could be surpassed. Until those impossible conditions occur, Budweiser remains supreme. The juxtaposition conflates American patriotic tradition with beer consumption, subtly legitimizing Budweiser as authentically American and patriotic—a common advertising strategy of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
James Monroe Fifth President of the United States. T was in the Hall of Oratory, William and Mary College, 1776. Patrick Henry stood on the platform; elo- Y quently, passionately, convincingly he spoke of human rights, constitu- tional guarantees, Personal Liberty. A young student, tall and blonde, with eyes of blue and heart of fire, listened in- tently. Tossing aside cap and gown, he buckled on his sword, saying, “Words are good; deeds are better.” At Harlem, White Plains and Brandy- wine, he fought bravely; and on a bitter cold Christmas morning his blood splashed the frozen paving stones of old Trenton Town. Step by step he rose to power; and today his name is inseparably associated with the most significant international Doctrine of modern times. At three score and fourteen he died—a true Virginia gentleman—the descendant of an old family of Scottish Cavaliers—and at his hospitable home at Oak Hill, good ale was brewed and ever on his board. References: Biography by Dan‘lC. Gilmore, Appleton & Harper's Enc. WHEN old Mother Earth grows better malting barley than northern soil produces— the fertile valleys and verdant WHEN mountain slopes a Old Bohemia grow better ea WHEN aature produces better and purer waters WHEN brew-science has been developed to a higher art— and not till then, will it be THEN, Pott to produce a_ better r than Budweiser THE KING OF ALL BOTTLED BEERS Bottled Only at the ANHEUSER - BUSCH BREWERY St. Louis, Mo., U. S. A. Corked or with Crown Caps For Sale at All Hotels, Clubs and Bars PRESS OF REOFIELD BROTHERS, NEW YORK