Life, 1915-09-02 · page 48 of 48
Life — September 2, 1915 — page 48: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a full-page advertisement for Columbia Records and gramophones, not political satire. The image shows what appears to be an opera or theatrical scene with well-dressed figures, likely depicting a performance scenario. The ad promotes Columbia Records' superiority by naming prestigious early 20th-century musicians: Fremstad (a famous opera singer) performing Isolde's Love Song, and Ysaye (a renowned violinist) playing Brahms' Hungarian Dance. The sales pitch emphasizes that Columbia records play on any standard phonograph, not just Columbia machines—a competitive advantage. The $200 Grafonola model shown was luxury merchandise. This targets affluent readers seeking culture and refinement through recorded music in their homes. The advertisement positions phonograph ownership as access to world-class musical performance.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HE joy that music brings; the delight and stimulation of hours spent in the realins of the master composers and the supreme interpreters of the world's music. Whether it is the magnificent vocal art of a famed diva, like Fremstad, singing Isolde’s Love Song; or the superb instru- mentalism of Ysaye, unfolding the magic of his art in Brahms’ Hungarian Dance; or whether it is further afield in the lightsome measures of the dance; or whatever it may be— “All the music of all the world’’ is brought to your home on Columbia Records which play not only on Columbia Grafonolas, but on any standard make of disc talking machine. COLUMBIA GRAPHOPHONE COMPANY Box S270 Woolworth Building, NEW YORK This model Columbia Grafonola $200 comicbooks.com