Life, 1912-12-05 · page 102 of 116
Life — December 5, 1912 — page 102: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines **editorial content about Christmas tree origins** with **period advertisements**. The main article traces the Christmas tree custom to German and possibly Egyptian roots, noting its introduction to England through Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. It's a straightforward historical piece with no satire. The advertisements are more notable: 1. **Swan Safety Fountain Pen** - a holiday gift ad emphasizing reliability ("always ready," "won't leak") 2. **Schlitz Beer** - the dominant advertisement. This is a straight product pitch, not satire. It argues consumers should demand beer in brown bottles because light exposure causes decay in beer. The ad positions brown bottles as a quality/purity guarantee—essentially early brand differentiation marketing. The slogan "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous" appears at bottom. **No political cartoons or satire appear on this page.** It's primarily an informational article paired with commercial advertising typical of early 20th-century Life magazine.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PRE some of the conquering legions, The stitution of the tree as part of the Germans have a legend of St. Maternus’s Christmas celebration to Martin Luther, “Ty sleeping beneath a fir tree, and of a but there is no reliable information on | miracle that occurred upon that occa- this subject. The Dutch, especially in Ml sion. New Amsterdam, were responsible for There is another theory that the n the vogue which the tree gained in Be tion of this tree came from Egypt. T! palm tree is suppesed to put forth a shoot every monti, and a spray of this tree, with welve shoots on it, was used America. It is now one of our oldest holiday customs. In England it was entirely unknown until the marriage of Queen Victoria in Egypt st their winter solstice cele- to Prince Albert, who introduced into P bration as-being ‘symbolical of the ende:l his adopted country the custom known in Ite year. The Germans attribute the actual in- every German houschold.—Serap Rook. « y, Dowtt Drink : ‘e Common Beer in| ‘ SAFETY | t Bottles FOUNTPEN is a Holiday gift which is : c appreciated by everyone be- cause it is always ready for use, and can be carried in any_ position without fear of leaking. The “Swan Safety" has three essential features which are not found in other peas. The “Ladder Feed” prevents flooding and blotting, the “Screwdown Cap” makes Tcaking impossible, and the You wouldn't think of drinking impure water. “Gold Top Feed” keeps the point of the pen wet with ink, ; nt ot i nt : W hy not be sure you get pure beer? If which insures instant writing. h weg ¥) you drink beer from a light bottle that has been A The “Swan Safety" is fitted with a 14-kt. gold iridium i exposed to light, you are not sure. pointed pen, which has for Light starts decay, even in pure beer. sixty years been acknowledged to be the best gold pen made. Paice 8056 and upcan all Schlita is brewed in the dark, aged in stationers and jewelers. glass-lined, steel-enameled tanks. Every tub, vat and tank is scalded every time used, Every bottle is sterilized after i at is sealed. Even the windows in cur bottling plant are of brown glass. The Brown Bottle protects Schlitz purity, from the brewery to your glass. Write for our illustrated price list Mabie, Todd @ Co. (Mak. ) 17 Maiden Lane New York City 209 So, State Street Chicago Toronto, London, Paris. Brussels, Sydney Where the Christmas Tree Came From This custom, so far as Christianity is concerned, is German in its origin, and is identified with the labors of St Order a case from your dealer today. See that crown or ter one of the earliest, if not |) cork is branded very first reachers of the gos- “Schlitz” The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous. 2414 pel am E ns. Just how that people became latter nsors for the Christ ‘ul, though it is possible hile to the Satu been imported comicbooks.co