Life, 1914-11-19 · page 3 of 44
Life — November 19, 1914 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Johnnie Walker whisky advertisement** disguised as editorial content in Life magazine (page 883). The cartoon shows three gentlemen discussing a "non-refillable bottle" — a marketing innovation where the bottle cannot be refilled by servants, ensuring consumers purchase genuine product rather than counterfeit or diluted whisky. The joke plays on class anxieties: wealthy men worry about dishonest servants adulterating expensive spirits. The header "Born 1820 — Still going strong" references Johnnie Walker's founding date and the whisky's longevity. The advertisement emphasizes that Johnnie Walker Red Label whisky, over 10 years old, maintains "guaranteed same quality throughout the world." This represents early 20th-century advertising using humor and social satire to sell premium spirits to affluent readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Born 1820 —Still going strong. First Gentleman: “ Have you heard about that wonderful ‘ Johnnie Walker’ non-refillable bottle?” * Second Gentleman: “ Non-refillable what?” First Gentleman: “ Bottle—a bottle that prevents an absent-minded servant from filling up.” Second Gentleman: “ Which, the servant or the bottle?” First Gentleman: “ Both.” The big demand for “ Johnnie Walker” Red Label in 1914 was anticipated and is amply provided for by the huge increases in reserve which were laid down in 1904 : Every drop of “ Johnnie Walker” Red Label whisky is over 10 years old. GUARANTEED SAME QUALITY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. Agents: WILLIAMS & HUMBERT, 1158 Broadway, NEW YORK JOHN WALKER & SONS, Lro., Waisxy Distitters, KILMARNOCK. comicbooks.com