Life, 1911-08-17 · page 39 of 40
Life — August 17, 1911 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily an **advertisement** for a series of Life magazine prints by artist Balfour Ker, not a political cartoon. The page advertises six photogravure prints depicting domestic scenes centered on the founding and early life of "the typical American home." The narrative arc follows young lovers building their house under "D. Cupid, Master Builder," through to their son becoming "ruler of the roost" after recovering from childhood illness. The prints are sold in two editions: a luxury version on India paper with French plate-stock mounting, and a cheaper standard edition (15x29 inches), both priced at $1.00 each. This reflects early 20th-century American sentimentality about homeownership, family, and domesticity—celebrating the nuclear family and domestic contentment as central to American identity. The satirical magazine Life here shifts into commercial mode, selling idealized domestic imagery to readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
39.) ; y Ma 4 ion American me ee: Home stance i ae Sy : Ascries of LIFE PRINTS ton & , F by Balfour Ker, full of human mA. . Cine 7 ’ interest. narest. Li? y ; we These six pictures tell a tn story that at some point touches the personal experi- dy age ence or the hopes of every reader of LIFE—the stor the founding of the typical American home. Daniel $1.50) From the day and hour when the young lovers sce the “New Home” of their hearts’ desire rising vision-like under the personal direction of D. Cupid, Master Builder, to that on which the son and heir of the house, recovered from his first trifling illness, is seen as TE, EARET MEAN the undisputed “ruler of the roost,’ Mr. Ker has caught the humor and sentiment of the modern home in masterly fashion. Printed in photogravure on India paper of the best quality and mounted on plate- marked French plate stock— a true edition de luxe. Also a cheaper edition, size 15X29, same quality of plate work. Price, $1.00 each. Inti Py Sent prepaid to any ad- dress upon receipt of your remittance. PUBLISHING COMPANY, 17 West 31 St., New York comicbooks.com