Life, 1915-09-16 · page 48 of 48
Life — September 16, 1915 — page 48: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **straightforward product advertisement**, not political satire. The page promotes Williams' Shaving Soap and related products from J.B. Williams Company. The illustration depicts a baseball player mid-swing, using the sport as a metaphor for masculine success and vigor. The "signal success" tagline plays on both baseball terminology and the product's longevity—the ad claims Williams has been "the key-word in the shaver's code" from historical times ("wooden frigate") through the modern "super-dreadnought" era. The baseball imagery appeals to early 20th-century American masculinity, suggesting the product is associated with strength and achievement. The "Holder-Top Stick" design is highlighted as the innovation ensuring the product's continued dominance in the market. This is typical 1915 *Life* magazine advertising—celebratory consumer marketing rather than editorial commentary or political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Success Ercan the days of the wooden frigate to the moder super-dreadnought this one word Williams has successfully held its place as the key- word in the shaver's code. The Holder-Top Stick —“You hold the Holder and the Holder holds the Stick"—is proving a signal success throughout the ranks of men who shave. Four other forms of the same good quality: Williams’ Shaving Stick in hinged- top, nickeled box, Williams’ Shaving Powder, Williams’ Shaving Cream and Williams’ Liquid Shaving Soap. A sample of any kind sent for 4 cents in stamps Address The J. B. WILLIAMS CO. Dept. A, Glastonbury, Conn. September 16, 1915 comicbooks.com