Life, 1910-01-06 · page 61 of 76
Life — January 6, 1910 — page 61: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **beauty product advertisement**, not political satire. The page promotes Pompeian Massage Cream to early automobile owners. The "cartoon" element is conceptual rather than illustrated: the ad identifies a newly-emergent social problem—"Automobile Complexion"—caused by the recent mass adoption of automobiles. The pitch argues that car travel exposes drivers and passengers to unprecedented dust and exhaust that ordinary cold creams cannot remove from pores, resulting in visible skin damage. The two portrait photographs show before/after results, though facial features aren't clearly distinct enough to identify specific individuals. They appear to be testimonial examples rather than caricatures of recognizable figures. The satire is subtle: the ad exploits anxieties about new technology's unforeseen consequences—a common theme in 1910s-1920s consumer marketing. It positions the product as a necessary modern solution to a modern problem created by progress itself.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
=> Automobile Complexion Dust the cause; Pompeian the relief. HE vogue of the machine has meant the vogue of bad complexions. Not alone are wind and sun enemies to good, clear, soft skins. Dust is an enemy, and often the chief one. Dust gets into the pores and can’t be dislodged by ordinary cleansers. A complete cleanser like Pompeian Massage Cream is absolutely necessary for good skin-health of automobilists. Use Pompeian and avoid the ‘‘ Automobile complexion.” You gather the dust of the machine ahead. Your face is also continually receiving dust kicked up by your own car. This is often insensibly gathered over the back by means of the vacuum created by your speed, however slight it may be. This dust gets into the pores to an astonishing degree and works havoc with the skin. Hence the necessity of a complete cleanser like POMPEIAN MASSAGE CREAM “It Cleans Completely” Don’t compare Pompeian with cold creams. Pompeian isa massage cream. Cold creams get off a little surface dirt, and also vué tz much dust. This dust says in the pores. Pompeian Massage Cream is rubbed into the pores—and then out again, bringing with it all the pore-clogging impurities — dust, soot, soap particles, etc. It is this foreign matter in the pores that causes many face disfigurements. You'll be astonished at the difference between Pompeian and ordinary cold creams. ‘ When I first used Pompeian,” wrote a woman, ‘I was as astonished as at my first Turkish bath. The dirt literally rolled out of my face pores.” Wrote another: ‘I had no idea so much dirt could get into the pores and stay there, despite soap and water.” Pompeian enjoys the most extensive sale of all face creams. ‘There are several million regular enthusiastic users. Your druggist should be one of the 50,000 that sell it. But don’t accept an inferior substitute on which the dealer makes a larger profit—at your expense. TRIAL JAR SENT You have been reading and hearing about Pompeian for years. You know it is the most popular face cream made. You have meant to try it, but have not done so. This is your chance to discover what a vast difference there is between an ordinary “‘cold’’ cream and a scientifically made Massage Cream like Pompeian. Send for trial jar to-day and prepare for a delightful surprise when you receive our quarter ounce sample jar. When writing enclose 6 cents in silver or stamps (United States only) to cover cost of postage and packing. THE POMPEIAN MFG. COMPANY 25 Prospect St., Cleveland, Ohio comicbooks.com