Life, 1912-07-11 · page 42 of 44
Life — July 11, 1912 — page 42: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily an **advertisement** for a print series rather than satire. Life Publishing Company is marketing six photogravure prints by artist Balfour Ker depicting the sentimental narrative of building an American home—from young lovers' dreams through to their son becoming "ruler of the roost." The humor is gentle and domestic rather than political. The series romanticizes the typical American middle-class experience: courtship, construction under "D. Cupid, Master Builder" (personifying Cupid as a contractor), and domestic life with children. The page offers two editions: a deluxe version on India paper ($2.00) and a cheaper 15x20 version ($1.00 each). The visible print titles—"Castles in Italy," "The New Home," "Love Among the Ruins," "Anticipation," "The First Spark," "The First Scare"—suggest a narrative arc celebrating homeownership and family formation as quintessentially American aspirations. This reflects early 20th-century magazine advertising targeting middle-class domesticity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
_ American | Home A series of LIFE PRINTS by Balfour Ker, full of human interest. These six pictures tell a story that at some point touches the personal experi- ence or the hopes of every reader of LIFE—the story of the founding of the typical American home. From the day and hour when the young lovers see 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 nw nose the house,- recovered from his TS Ib tes, 800 first trifling illness, is seen as 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 15 x 20, same quality of plate work. Price, $1.00 each. x 18 tu., $2.00 Sent prepaid to any ad- India Print, 22 x 18 i0.. $2.00 dress upon receipt of your remittance. CASTLES IN sTALX The old home avd a dream of the new India Print, 22 x 18 tn, $2.00 Copr, Life Bab, Co. LIFE PUBLISHING COMPANY, 17 West 31 St., New York