Life, 1912-05-16 · page 52 of 52
Life — May 16, 1912 — page 52: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward **Kodak advertisement** from *Life* magazine (May 16, 1912). The image shows a woman in early 1900s attire (white dress, hat, shoulder bag) posing outdoors near what appears to be a government building, holding a camera. The ad encourages readers to photograph spring outings in parks and nature. The tagline "If it isn't an East it isn't Kodak" (likely "Eastman" with OCR error) emphasizes brand dominance—suggesting Kodak cameras were the standard for amateur photography. The copy appeals to leisure and memory-preservation, positioning Kodak as essential for capturing life's moments. This reflects the early camera era when portable photography was becoming accessible to general consumers, and *Life* magazine featured both satirical content and advertisements targeting middle-class readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
May 16, 1912 Uf it isn’t an East it isn’ Kodak. Take a KODAK wth you. Make the most of the lure of the first soft days of spring. Picture the parks and the fields and the woods. Let Kodak be your companion on every out-of-door day—’twill give you a fuller joy in the day itself—and afterward the joy of possessing pictures of the places and people that you are interested in. EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, Rochester, N. Y., The Kodak City. Catalogue free at the dealers or by maul. comicbooks.com