Life, 1915-08-26 · page 35 of 48
Life — August 26, 1915 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **product advertisement** for Perrier sparkling water, not political satire. The page appears from *Life* magazine's advertising section (page 387). The silhouette at top depicts **Lafayette**, the French Revolutionary War hero, establishing a patriotic association with France. The ad cleverly links Perrier to French prestige by invoking "the enthusiasm for France inspired by Lafayette." The marketing pitch emphasizes Perrier's French origins ("Southern vineyards"), purity, and health benefits—notably claiming it helps with "gout and uric acid troubles—the bugbear of middle-age," targeting wealthy, aging male consumers who frequented high-class establishments. The bottle illustration and tagline "The Champagne of Table Waters" position it as an upscale alternative to plain water. The ad's tone suggests early 20th-century American enthusiasm for Continental luxury goods, particularly among the affluent classes who patronized the "high-class hotels, restaurants and grocers" mentioned.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The enthusiasm for France inspired by Lafayette is re-inspired by Perrier. alone to have in the heart of its Southern vineyards the glorious, crystal, bubbling Perrier Spring. It is your good fortune to be able to get Perrier Water as fresh, sparkling, and delightfully palatable as it bursts gloriously from that famous Spring. |: is the good fortune of France SPARKLING TABLE WATER Perrier is bottled at the Springs in the South of France amidst the glorious French vineyards. There is no saltiness in Perrier, the great reason why it combines so perfectly with Wines and Spirits. N. B.—A glass of Perrier alone or with a slice of lemon in the early morning is invaluable in gout and uric acid troubles—the bugbear of middle-age. OBTAINABLE AT ALL HIGH-CLASS HOTELS, RESTAURANTS AND GROCERS WILLIAMS & HUMBERT, AGENTS, 1158 BROADWAY, NEW YORK To quench hot weather thirst drink The Champagne of Table Waters Bubbling with its own Carbonic Gas. comicbooks.com