Life — December 3, 1914 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Great Western Champagne Advertisement This is a **commercial advertisement**, not political satire. It depicts an elegant dinner party scene—four well-dressed guests (two women, two men) at a formal table with champagne bottles displayed prominently. The ad claims "Great Western" is an American champagne that won gold medals at major international expositions in France over 47 years, asserting it's "the only American Champagne ever awarded a Gold Medal for foreign Expositions." The manufacturer, Pleasant Valley Wine Company of Rheims, New York, marketed itself as "oldest and largest producers of champagne in America." The sophisticated imagery appeals to upper-class consumers by associating American-made champagne with European prestige and refinement—a selling point during an era when American products often faced skepticism regarding quality and sophistication.