Life, 1913-01-16 · page 40 of 40
Life — January 16, 1913 — page 40: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **advertising, not satire or commentary**. It's a 1913 Palmolive soap advertisement from Life magazine's pages. The image shows an orientalist fantasy scene: figures in exotic dress (appearing to represent Ceylon/Spain, the oil sources) pouring oils into a large basin. The theatrical staging and "exotic" costuming reflect early 20th-century marketing that traded on romanticized imagery of the Orient and colonial sources. The ad's claims are notable by modern standards: it promises the soap makes skin "white and youthful" and emphasizes "purity" and "no artificial color"—reflecting period beauty standards and ingredient transparency concerns of the era. The B.J. Johnson Soap Company (Milwaukee) marketed Palmolive as a premium product using historical claims ("two thousand years") and physician endorsements typical of early 1900s advertising. There is no political cartoon or satire here—this is straightforward product promotion using orientalist imagery common to the period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
=PAEM-OIL 7] rrom CEYLON For two thousand years it has been known that Palm and Olive Oils soothe, cleanse, soften and make the skin firm, white and youthful. Palmolive Soap is the modern scientific way of blending Palm and Olive Oils. These two wonderful oils of the Orient never have been equaled by any toilet requisites of any age. Palmolive Shampoo contains the two wonderful Palm and Olive Oils. It makes the hair soft. fluffy and tractable. Preserves its color and luxuriance, and imparts the dainty misty gleam that healthy, clean hair has by nature. Palmolive Cream is an unusually delightful and bene- ficial emollient. It completes the three necessities for a careful and dainty toilet. Made by B. J. JOHNSON SOAP COMPANY Milwaukee, Wisconsin January Ve, 1913 For two thousand years Palm and Olive Oils have been carried over land and sea, by ship and caravan, to all parts of the world—for the toilets of little children and beautiful women. Palmolive Soap 1s perfectly pure. Contains no free alkali. No artificial color is used. The two blended oils give Palmolive its delicate green color. Palmolive is faintly, yet delightfully fragrant— a sweet wholesome breath from the Orient. It lathers freely in soft or hard water, thoroughly cleansing and invigorating the skin. It is advised by famous physicians as best for the baths of new-born children, as well as for daily use by grown women and men. More Palmolive is used than any other high- grade toilet soap. Palmolive is found at all good dealers comicbooks.com