Life, 1908-12-03 · page 67 of 68
Life — December 3, 1908 — page 67: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Christmas gift advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. It promotes Gillette's safety razor by contrasting modern convenience with old-fashioned shaving methods. The ad targets male gift-givers, claiming the Gillette eliminates tedious barber visits and dangerous stropping/honing of straight razors. Key selling points: takes only five minutes, requires no maintenance, adjustable for different shave preferences, and safe from cuts. The text includes a mild joke about male resistance to innovation—"it sometimes takes a woman to lead him to it"—suggesting men are conservative but will appreciate the product once introduced. The holly and gift box imagery establish the Christmas gift angle. At $5.00 standard (expensive for the era), it's positioned as a premium, desirable present for any man. The company lists multiple international factories, indicating Gillette's established market dominance. This reflects early 20th-century consumer culture emphasizing convenience and time-saving technology.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Give Him a Gillette Safety Razor for Christmas E will use it, never fear ! And thank you from his heart every time he shaves. Over two million men are using the Gillette—any one of them will tell you he would not be without it for ten times its cost. Ss aving in the old way is the bane of a man’s lif lu means time wasted at the barber- Shor —or tedious stropping and scrap- ing with the old-fashioned razor, with the certainty of cuts and scratches if he is ner- vous orinahurry. Besides, as you know, he is not always ee when he ought to be. The Gillette makes shaving easy. Takes only five minutes for a smooth, satisfying New York Times Butiding GILLETTE SALES CO. shave, no matter how rough the beard or tender the skin. No stropping, no honing. Any man can use it. Itis the one razor that is safe—cav- not cut his face—and it is the only razor that can be adjusted for a light or a close shave. A man is conservative. He takes to the Gillette like a duck to water once he gets acquainted—but, as with other improve- ments, it sometimes takes a woman to lead him to it. The Gillette makes a beautiful gift, with its triple silver-plated handle, in velvet lined, full leather case. Standard set, as illustrated above, $5.00. Combination sets, $6.50 to $50.00. Send for illustrated booklet today. The Gillette is on sale at all leading jewelry, drug, cutlery, hardware and sporting goods stores. If your dealer cannot supply you write to us. Chicago Stock Exchange Buttding 228 Kimball Buiflding, Boston FACTORIES: Hoston, London, Berlin, Paris, Montreal Gillette Safety NO STROPPING NO HONING Razor comicbooks.c com