Life, 1911-06-29 · page 44 of 45
Life — June 29, 1911 — page 44: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**, but rather a straightforward product advertisement from Life magazine (June 29, 1911). The page promotes Williams' Talc Powder with an illustration of a fashionably dressed woman in a large hat, applying powder. The ad emphasizes the product's fineness, softness, and four available scents (Violet, Carnation, Rose, Karsi). The promotional hook is a "Dainty Vanity Box"—a silver-plated, hinged-top compact with mirror and puff. Women could obtain it free by purchasing Williams' powder, providing proof of purchase, and sending 16 cents in stamps. The offer ran July-August 1911. The ad targets young women, emphasizing portability for travel and motoring—positioning the vanity box as both practical and a potential gift. This reflects early 20th-century marketing toward expanding female consumer culture and mobility.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“PRE Jone P.M “Williams Tale Powder Sift a little on your hand, and note how fine it is, how soft and how quickly it disappears. Note also the deli- cate, lasting perfume, as fragrant as the flowers themselves. It is in such delightful form that the soothing, softening, refreshing, antiseptic propertics of Williams’ Talcum Powder are offered for your use. There are four odors—Violet, Carnation, Rose (a flesh tint) and Karsi, a rich Oriental perfume—put up in a hand- some free-sifting, non-leaking, hinged-top box. Ow to get it A Vanity Box, carried in the purse or chatelaine bag, is Buy a can of Williams’ Talc Powder, send us the almost indispensable when motoring, traveling or at the name of the dealer of whom you bought it, the seashore. We believe there are few women, especially date, and /6c. in stamps. In return we will send young women, who will not be glad to get one of these you this beautiful little silver-plated, hinged-top attractive and useful little boxes, for which, at a store, they Vanity Box, with imported powder puff and con- would willingly pay a dollar. Ifyou don’t need it yourself, centrating mirror. Sent only on above condi- it will make an exquisite little present for some friend. tions. Offer good during July and August, 1°11. THE J.B. WILLIAMS COMPANY, Dept. A, Glastonbury, Conn., (Makers of Williams’ Famous Shaving Soap, Jersey Cream Toilet Soap, Dentalactic Tooth Powder, ete ett comicbooks.com