Life — July 9, 1914 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Utmost in Cigarettes" - Egyptian Delties This advertisement features two figures in Egyptian-style dress (headdresses, jewelry) in what appears to be an ancient Egyptian setting. The cartoon promotes "Egyptian Delties" cigarettes in "Plain or Cork Tip." The humor relies on visual pun: the figures are depicted as Egyptian "deities" (gods/goddesses), but the product name "Delties" suggests "delights." The exoticized Egyptian aesthetic was a common marketing device of this era, capitalizing on 1920s fascination with ancient Egypt (likely boosted by Tutankhamun's tomb discovery in 1922). The joke conflates luxury cigarettes with divine status—smoking these cigarettes positions consumers as sophisticated and elevated. This page is primarily advertising rather than political satire.