Life, 1911-09-28 · page 37 of 42
Life — September 28, 1911 — page 37: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **book advertisement** (left) and **razor advertisement** (right) from Life magazine, with minimal satirical content. **Left side:** Promotes Eleanor Hallowell Abbott's novel *The Sick-a-Bed Lady*, published by Century Co. The small cartoon below shows two working-class figures in period dress discussing etiquette—a genteel topic treated humorously by common people ("Say, Mamie, is it etiquette to bow to a gentleman friend wot's gettin' pinched?"). The joke appears to satirize class pretensions: lower-class characters awkwardly applying upper-class social rules. **Right side:** A **Durham-Duplex razor advertisement** featuring a man's satisfied face after shaving. The ad emphasizes the razor's superiority over "safety" razors, claiming it provides a genuinely smooth shave without skin irritation. The marketing distinguishes their product as a "real razor—made safe" rather than merely a safety device. Both elements reflect early 20th-century consumer culture and class-conscious humor typical of Life magazine's approach.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
u SICK-A-BED LADY ELEANOR HALLOWELL ABBOTT THE NEW BOOK BY THE AUTHOR OF MOLLY MAKE- BELIEVE Everywhere, $1.30 net PUBLISHED BY THE CENTURY CO. 1S IT ETTIKET TO HOW TO A GENTLEMAN “Say, MAMIE, FRIEND WoT'S GETTIN’ PINCHED?” “Say, that was a real shave!”’ You can’t get a real shave without a real razor. The Durham-Duplex is a real razor. It shaves. It slides smoothly over the face, severing the whiskers with the correct diagonal stroke, like a scythe mows grass. It leaves the skin soft and velvety—not rough and harsh as after the scraping of hoe-shaped “safeties.” the “‘safe’’ razor ry / Notice we say ‘“‘safe razor,’ not a ‘‘safety.’’ Don’t class the Durham-Duplex as a ‘‘safety.”” ‘It’s a real razor—made safe. It has the hang and the set and the right shaving principle of the old straight razor without the dangerous naked blade. The guard not only protects the blade but sets the #/ razor in the correct position. The Durham-Duplex is f/ double-edged. Shave either way, with either hand. Strop your blades Every razor‘set-includes a'stropping attachment that’s put on in a jiffy. “ This attachment enables you to strop blades like an expert. It gives the blade just the right set for a keen, even edge. With this attachment you can use the razor like an ordinary straight razor if you wish. Durham- Duplex Blades are made of special stcel and hold their edge. We have made the Durham-Duplex Blade the Standard of the World and will maintain it, 50c will buy 12 Cutting Edges (6 Blades). Standard set—razor, guard, strop~ Ding attachment and’ six double- edged blades—in handsome leather case, $5.00 everywhere, DURHAM-DUPLEX RAZOR COMPANY New York London comicbooks.com