Life, 1914-01-15 · page 2 of 40
Life — January 15, 1914 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising**, not political commentary. The top photograph shows four formally dressed men at a dinner table—their specific identities are unclear from the image alone. The main content is a **Fatima Turkish Blend Cigarettes advertisement** (15¢ per package). It quotes "a noted Englishman" making an epigram about American consumer behavior: people buy things either because they're expensive or cheap. The ad then argues Fatima cigarettes are purchased for neither reason, but rather for their unique "character" and "individuality." The tagline "Distinctively Individual" emphasizes brand differentiation. This represents early 20th-century marketing strategy—selling products on quality and personality rather than price. The photograph likely serves as aspirational imagery of sophistication, though the specific figures remain unidentified.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Noted Englishman Says- ‘Americans buy things either because they are expensive- CIGARETTES or because they are cheap” A clever epigram — but is it true? -In the case of Fatimas the majority of men do not think of price at all. They smoke Fatimas because ' these wonderful Turkish-blend Cigarettes have a character, a quality, an individuality possessed by no other. Lpgelte Myors Tobacco Co: But rather m comicbooks.com