Life, 1911-07-20 · page 39 of 40
Life — July 20, 1911 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **magazine advertisement**, not a political cartoon. It promotes *Ainslee's* magazine for August, featuring a fictional character called "Georgette." The ad uses a common marketing technique: creating a glamorous, alluring female persona ("sparkling, fascinating, almost maddening") to entice readers. "Georgette" is presented as so compelling that the magazine itself becomes secondary—readers should want the magazine because it contains her story. The copy lists established short-story writers of the era (Kate Jordan, Frank Condon, etc.) to establish literary credibility. The final tagline—"Neither 'uplift' nor 'letdown'—real entertainment"—suggests *Ainslee's* positioned itself as middle-brow entertainment: not pretentious literature nor cheap sensationalism, but accessible quality fiction. There is no political satire here. This reflects early 20th-century magazine marketing that relied on creating appealing fictional characters and celebrity to drive newsstand sales. The cover design by James Montgomery Flagg (noted at top) helped establish the visual brand.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“‘Georgette”’ Is Living g Sg In August Ainslee’s ‘ j he J Jt. ae BHESEE =| It is only natural that “Georgette ’’— ane ek bese bY’ sparkling, fascinating, almost madden- ing at times—should have chosen Ainslee’s in which to live. The or- dinary magazine might have referred to this irresistible young lady as a literary event; in which case “Georgette” would undoubtedly have referred to the ordinary magazine— but decide for yourself. Marion Hill introduced her to Ainslee’s; Ainslee’s is introducing her to you. Go to the nearest news-stand now. “Georgette” is the sort of lady one would be sorry to have kept waiting. The dozen or more short stories in August Ainslee’s are just the sort that “Georgette” herself would enjoy— the best stories of such writers as Kate Jordan, Frank Condon, Constance Skinner, Johnson Morton, Fannie Heaslip Lea, William Bullock, Jane | W. Guthrie, Elliott Flower and Andrew Soutar. AINSLEE’S FOR AUGUST Neither “uplift” nor “letdown” — real entertainment Read wherever magazines are sold. Sold wherever read. 2 2 15 cents the copy aizines are WILLIAMS PRINTING COMPANY, NEW YORK comicbooks.com