Life — December 12, 1912 — page 47: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is an advertisement for "El Príncipe de Gales" (The Prince of Wales) Havana cigars. The image depicts a military or royal figure in ornate uniform mounted on a decorated horse, leading a procession of similarly dressed officers. The ad's appeal relies on associating the cigar brand with aristocratic prestige and masculine sophistication. By naming the product after a prince and claiming it's "smoked by gentlemen everywhere," the advertisement suggests that purchasing these cigars confers social status and refinement on the buyer. The elaborate military imagery and formal procession reinforce themes of power, authority, and upper-class exclusivity—marketing tactics common in early 20th-century luxury goods advertising. The rhetorical question "Have you smoked one lately?" uses social pressure to encourage consumption.