Life, 1914-09-10 · page 5 of 48
Life — September 10, 1914 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising for Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky**, not political satire. The "cartoon" frames a sales pitch as humor. The dialogue presents an old gentleman (left, wearing top hat) claiming his only regret in 63 years was waiting until age 63 to discover Johnnie Walker whisky. A younger man (center) listens while a tiny figure (right, labeled "Born 1820 still going strong") represents the brand's longevity claim. The joke relies on the premise that discovering this whisky earlier would have improved his life—a common advertising trope of the era. The "non-refillable bottle" reference suggests authenticity and quality control. This represents early-20th-century American magazine advertising dressed as editorial humor, targeting affluent male readers. The satire is gentle and entirely commercial in purpose.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Young Gentleman: ‘‘ Wett, Str, YOU CERTAINLY HAVE HAD AN INTERESTING LIFE. Have YOU ANY REGRETS?” Old Gentleman : “ Yes, I recret Taat I was 63 YEARS OLD BEFORE I FOUND THE ‘JOHNNIE Waker’ Non-reritnasce Botte.” ay t “ Born 1820 still going strong. | t il hyAly The wonderful “Johnnie Walker’ non-refillable bottle has many advantages besides ensuring that you pour out only what the distillers put in. Be sure to ask for it next time. The call for “Johnnie Walker” whisky is increasing, but not so fast as are the reserve stocks to ensure its unvarying quality. Every drop of “Johnnie Walker” Red Label “Scotch” is over 10 years old. GUARANTEED SAME Quatity THROUGHOUT THE Wor LD. Agents: WILLIAMS & HUMBERT, 1158 Broadway, NEW YORK. JOHN WALKER & SONS, LTD., SCOTCH WHISKY DISTILLERS, KILMARNOCK. comicbooks.com |