Life, 1914-09-10 · page 47 of 48
Life — September 10, 1914 — page 47: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satirical content**, but rather a full-page advertisement—specifically a notice to consumers from E. Lamontagne's Sons, a wine and spirits importer. **Historical Context:** Dated August 10, 1914, this appears just after **World War I's outbreak in Europe** (late July 1914). The notice addresses disruptions caused by war: suspended commerce, increased insurance costs, freight scarcity, and foreign export prohibitions on wines and spirits. **The Message:** Lamontagne's assures American consumers that price increases on imported French wines (Barton & Guestier clarets), gins, whiskeys, ports, and sherries reflect only *actual costs* incurred—not profiteering. They claim to have made "material sacrifices" to keep beloved brands affordable. **Why It Matters:** The note at bottom indicates this replaced a planned illustrated advertisement, suggesting wartime disruptions affected even advertising itself. This document captures early American consumer anxiety about accessing European luxury goods during the war's opening weeks.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NOTICE TO CONSUMERS OF BARTON & GUESTIER CLARETS, SAUTERNES and OLIVE OIL GORDON GINS, WILLIAM WILLIAMS WHISKY SANDEMANN PORT and SHERRY JOHN POWER & SON IRISH WHISKY, etc., etc. Owing to the suspension of commerce, financial complica- tions, war insurance, scarcity of freights, etc., there has been a compulsory change in values. We have used every commercial resource and means of ship- ment to keep the market supplied with the brands for which we are agents, distributing stocks and receipts with due respect to distributors (not to speculators). There has been no change for added profit, change in value being entirely due to expenditures actually incurred, and material sacrifices have been made by shippers, importers and dealers that the American consumer might continue the enjoyment of accustomed brands without undue advance in cost. The action of foreign countries in prohibit- ing exports of food products, wines and spirits, has brought further complications. E. LAMONTAGNE’S SONS Dated New York, August 10, 1914 (Substituted for illustrated advertisement arranged for this issue of “‘Life’* printed August /0th)