Life, 1912-12-05 · page 7 of 116
Life — December 5, 1912 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is an advertisement page, not a cartoon. It shows a formal advertisement for Theodore B. Starr, Inc., a jewelry company established in 1862, located at 5th Avenue and 47th Street in New York. The ad promotes fine gems for Christmas gifts, emphasizing the company's commitment to quality and honest representation. Key selling points include: gems of "undoubted merit," transparency about each stone's characteristics (color, brilliance, crystal perfection), and competitive pricing. The company also offers pearls, diamonds, and custom-designed settings. The ornate border and formal typography reflect early 20th-century advertising aesthetics. This is straightforward commercial messaging rather than satire—Life magazine carried advertisements alongside its humorous content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AN = = = = = = = = = = = = THEODORE B. STARR. INC. Established 1862 Fine Gems for Christmas Gifts sold under Exact Representations as to Quality and Value LEASURE in the possession of a gem depends largely upon the assurance that its quality is unquestionably fine. Of the total annual yield of gems, a very small proportion only belongs to the “unquestionably fine.” For over fifty years we have confined our dealings exclusively to gems of undoubted merit. No two gems are exactly alike. We believe, therefore, that the purchaser of a gem is entitled to know the plain truth about its characteristics of color and brilliancy, its perfection of crystal and shape, as the case may be. In these respects it has been our invariable practice to state the truth unequivocally. This policy has earned an unbroken record of satisfaction on the part of those who have dealt with us. For the selection of Christmas Gifts we offer a collection of Pearls, Diamonds, and other gems, in the latest artistic settings, which affords the widest range of choice. A specialty is made of original settings designed to order. Our prices may always be relied upon to be as low as prevail elsewhere for equal quality. Purchases may be made by mail, with the assurance of complete satisfaction 5TH AVENUE AND 47TH STREET NEW YORK comicbooks.com