Life, 1912-12-12 · page 5 of 48
Life — December 12, 1912 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising**, not satire or political commentary. The large advertisement promotes the **Victrola**, a phonograph manufactured by Victor Talking Machine Co. The illustration shows a family gathered around the device during Christmas, with children and adults listening to music. The ad's pitch emphasizes the Victrola as an ideal gift that brings "pleasure to every member of the family." The left column contains unrelated content: philosophical musings on women attributed to Balzac, and an announcement about an Egyptian watercolor exhibition at the Montross Galleries. The bottom of the page includes moral aphorisms about women and marriage, attributed to "The Scrap Book." This appears to be a typical early-20th-century Life magazine layout mixing advertising, cultural announcements, and editorial filler rather than satirical content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
§ Balzac’s Views of Women (As might have been expected of such @ profound student of human nature, Balzac on various occasions attempted to analyse the character of Many millions of men had essayed this task before Balzac’s time, and had failed. as millions of other men have been fail- er since. Philosophers have been first to despair, for they contend thet man ever thoroughly understands herself or any other member of her sex in short, that she is to be understood only by the angels. But it is generally believed that Balzac came nearer the truth in his estimate of woman than any other novelist has done. Naturally his views were conflicting.) When a woman pronounces the name of a man but twice a day, there may be some doubt as to the nature of her senti- ment—but three times! In courting women many dry wood for a fire that will not burn for them. No man has yet discovered the means of successfully giving friendly advice to women—not even to his own. Women are constantly the dupes, or else the victims, of their extreme sensi- tiveness. A man must be a fool who docs not succeed in making a woman believe that which flatters her. A woman when she has passed forty becomes an illegible scrawl; only an old woman is capable of divining old women, oman. An Important Water Color Exhibition — of Scenes in Lower and Upper Egypt by the late Henry Bacon will be held at the Montross Galleries, 550 Fifth Ave., from December Eleventh to January First. you the wonderful Victrola. A woman full of faith in the one she loves is but a novelist’s fancy. The m kes of a woman result al- most always from her faith in the good and her confidence in the truth. Woman is a charming creature, who anges her heart as easily as her g wes. The man who can govern a woman can govern a nation. In the clevated order of ideas, the life of man is glory; the life of woman is love. Marriage has as war has its its Descartes. its unknown great men apoleons and philosophy 2433 Will there be a Victrola in your home this Christmas? Any Victor dealer in any city in the world will gladly play any music you wish to hear and demonstrate to Victor Talking Machine Co., Camden, N. J., U.S. A. Always use Victor Machines with Victor Records and Victor Needies— the combination. There is no other way to get the unequaled Victor tone. This isa Victrola XI, $100 Mabogeny or oak Other styles $15 to $200 The Indian axiom," Do not strike ofa even with a flower a woman guill hundred crimes,” is my n t When women love us, they forgive us le of cond: everything, even our crimes. When they do not love us, they give us credit for nothing, not even for our virtues. Marria spite or mercy that monster which de- pit There is one thing admirable in wom- should combat without re- vours everything—h en: they never reason about their blame- worthy actions; even in their dissimu- lation there is an clement of sincerity. —From the Scrap Book. comicbooks.com