Life, 1911-12-07 · page 79 of 112
Life — December 7, 1911 — page 79: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **candy advertisement**, not satire or political content. It appears in *Life* magazine and promotes Belle Mead Sweets chocolates and bon bons from Trenton, New Jersey. The ad uses early 20th-century marketing rhetoric emphasizing **purity and refinement**—associating candy with cultured homes containing "books and friends." The imagery shows an elegant study with furniture, potted plants, and candy boxes displayed as decorative luxury items. Key selling points highlighted: no glucose or artificial flavoring/coloring (marketed as "pure fruits"), sealed boxes for freshness, and price points ranging from 80 cents to $2.50—positioning it as a premium product for "better drug stores." The decorative wreaths and refined setting are meant to appeal to middle/upper-class consumers who valued propriety and quality. There is **no apparent satire** here—just period advertising using class signaling and purity claims common to that era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
N the home of culture where books and friends are cherished, where all that is good is sought and things worth while find a place—there you will find an appre- ciation of the candy that is famous as the pioneer for purity. Belle Mead Sweets Chocolates and Bon Bons MApy of the best chocolate and sugar with centers of cream, nuts and fruits. The cream centers are different from others—there’s 10 glucose, artificial flavoring or coloring matter to lessen their good- ness. Just pure fruits, blending their flavors with sugar and cream. Made in the cleanest candy kitchen in the world. Sold in sealed boxes that keep them fresh and delicate. 80c, $1.00, $1.25, $1.50, $2.00, $2.50 at the better drug stores. Belle Mead Sweets 81 West End Ave., Trenton, N. J. comicbooks.com