Life, 1915-11-25 · page 44 of 44
Life — November 25, 1915 — page 44: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **straightforward advertisement, not satire**—a 1915 Bull Durham tobacco ad teaching readers how to roll hand-made cigarettes. The page contains eight instructional photographs demonstrating rolling technique, alongside marketing text claiming that "rolling your own" cigarettes is an art requiring practice but yields superior flavor. The ad targets "men of energy and action," appealing to self-sufficiency and taste customization. By modern standards, the content is remarkable for its **candid health indifference**—enthusiastically promoting cigarette consumption without any health warnings (which wouldn't be required until decades later). The "Bull" bull logo appears as the company's mascot. The offer of free instructional booklets and rolling papers was typical early-20th-century direct marketing. This represents pre-regulation tobacco advertising, when manufacturers openly encouraged consumption as a desirable lifestyle choice.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
In the fingers of the left hand, hold Spread the tobacco the length of the Then place your two thumbs next to rete on lower fingers, paper,curved,toreceive the tobacco, paper, making it slightly hollow in 3 each other in the middle of the paper ind. joving up. With poured with the right hand, the centre, in this position, c ge of paper C0. How to “Roll Your Own” It's a simple, easy process. You can do it with your eyes shut after a little practice. And what a joy is the fresh, fragrant cigarette of “Bull” Durham rolled by your own hand to your own liking! You “roll your own” with “Bull” and note the difference. GENUINE ‘BULL DURHAM | ° . SMOKING TOBACCO teas 5 are uci All over the world men of energy and action are rolling “Bull” into cigarettes. Probably not one of these millions of men “rolled his own” successfully at the first trial. There’s a knack in it—rolling your own is an art— but you can learn it if you will follow these diagrams. : Keep at it for a few days and you'll soon be able to make 7 wn . 89.0 your tpn me for yourself, to suit your own taste, the smartest, liveliest, eee mildest smoke in the world. “Bull? Durham, made of “bright” Virginia-North Carolina leaf, has a mellow-sweetness that is unique and an aroma that is unusually pleasing. Start “rolling your own” with “Bull” Durham today Glove ends of Ciarctte by tinting and you'll never again be satisfied with any other kind of senate cigarette. Shape the Cigarette by rolling it with the thumbs as you draw them FREE An Illustrated Booklet, showing correct way to “Roll Your Own” Cigarettes, and a package of cigarette papers, will both be mailed, free, to any address in United States on request. Address “Bull” Durham, Durham, N. C. Room 1295. THE AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY