Life, 1914-08-27 · page 44 of 44
Life — August 27, 1914 — page 44: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **full-page advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. It promotes Columbia's phonograph (grafonola) and dance records to the modern dancing public of the 1910s-1920s. The page features testimonials from **actual famous dancers of the era**: Anna Pavlova (Russian prima ballerina), Vernon Castle (ballroom dance innovator), Joan Sawyer, and others endorsing Columbia records for rehearsal and instruction. G. Hepburn Wilson, identified as "the world's greatest teacher of modern dance," provides credibility. The advertisement highlights **four instructional dance records** where Wilson provides spoken step-by-step guidance—a novel concept then. The grafonola itself is pictured (right side), priced $25-$300 with financing available. The social context: this targets the "modern dance" craze sweeping America, where jazz-influenced social dancing (the foxtrot, one-step) was revolutionizing entertainment and courtship. The ads position the grafonola as enabling home practice and instruction without hiring a live pianist—practical and economical.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
I use your Grafonola and Peal ants dance records in my re- _ impressed with ; I am using t Is with 1 " Columbia dance re- Columbia “G 1" hearsals with complete satis: fe (GM cording that I have de- a Columbia “Grand faction and find your dance &% em cided to have you make iS. fonola and Co- records truly represent records for me of the uy “Qe lumbia records at Castl the very spirit of the dances I have been ff \ { House. . . They are 4 using in my own nhs the best I have heard. dance, —Anna ¥ Joan S ; ¢ - —Vernon Castle. Pavlowa. ." { ‘ \ = r, ; \8 Pavlowa, and you too, dance best to the music of a Columbia Grafonola playing Columbia Dance Records So do Joan Sawyer, Vernon Castle, G. Hepburn Wilson, Julia Sanderson, Mlle. Dazie and hundreds of famous dancers and instructors Seer encore Four Columbia Dance Instruction Records instrument is of better tempo that: , a : ; ‘ ; What teraaked by Vhese four Columbia Dance Instruction Records are the average or- A the most novel, interesting and instructive records ever chet . made. They teach vou by spoken instructions (prepared Sanderson. 1 by Mr. G. Hepburn Wilson, M.B.), how to take the i different steps. The instructor fairly leads you through the dance as he counts the steps aloud—before and with the mitsic—the same as though he were your partner. ch instruc- tion record is ents-—and on the reverse side is a complete dance selection well worth the 75-cent price all by itself j. Hepburn Every Columbia dealer in America is pre- Wilson, M. B., pared to play these records for you and give Rey acknowledged to be the you Free a copy of G. Hepburn Wilson's Y * F world's greatest teacher — book—" How to Dance the Modern Dances of the modern dance, | You can purchase a Columbia Grafonola for as supervises all Co- little as $25—on easy terms if you prefer, And all the way up to $300 you have @ variety of different ae styles to choose from, And don't make any mis- take: if it is a Columbia, it has the tone-control Teaves at the front, which’ have taken the place of the old double-door idea. IMPORTANT NOTICE! All Columbia records can be used on your disc talking machine (of any standard make.) COLUMBIA Your Colum- ae Graphophone Company bia Dance Rec- Qe ords are worth their ji Box H-270, Woolworth Building, weight in gold. Now NEW YORK T can do my rehearsing jaya { j Toronto:365-367 SoraurenAvenue lumbia dance whenever I feel like it —I don't need even A a pianist— #4 Dealers wanted where we are not active: Mile. Dazie. ly represented. Write for particulars, $100--0 easy terms Others $25 to $500 Columbia Craforols ““Mignooette””