Life, 1915-12-02 · page 21 of 100
Life — December 2, 1915 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **cruise ship advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes the United Fruit Company's "Great White Fleet" steamship service to Caribbean and Central/South American destinations. The ad uses romanticized language about "pirate days" and "the Spanish Main" to market tropical cruises as nostalgic escapes—passengers can experience exotic history "in restful ease" with modern comforts (air conditioning, spacious decks, private baths). The illustration shows a well-dressed woman lounging on deck while viewing a tropical coastline with sailing ships, emphasizing leisure and luxury. A small map indicates the Caribbean routing. **For modern readers**: This reflects early 20th-century attitudes romanticizing colonial/pirate-era history as exotic entertainment, while the United Fruit Company itself—though not critiqued here—was actually controversial for its significant influence over Central American politics and labor practices. The ad simply sells vacation fantasy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘CHRISTMAS LIFE: 3\) WHITE [21/5 /5 Living the Past in Present Day Comfort Same tropic seas, furrowed by pirate galleys; the same brilliant sunshine on coral strands, stately palms and cities of a by-gone day. Think of enjoying these visions of pirate days, of treasure trove, in restful ease—surrounded by every comfort that lets you enjoy the romance and history of the Spanish Main. Sail Southward on Great White Fleet Ships, built especially for tropical travel; cool air forced into every room; spacious decks; all outside rooms, many with baths. A la carte service on New York ships. Cruises from 15 to 25 Days to CUBA, JAMAICA, PANAMA CANAL, CENTRAL and SOUTH AMERICA Sailings of GREAT WHITE FLEET Ships from New York every Wednesday and Saturday and fortnightly on Thursdays. Sailings from New Orleans every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, For information write to PASSENGER TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT United Fruit Company Steamship Service 17 Battery Place, New York Connections at Colon for all Central and Write for Our New Book South American West +; <S ‘CRUISING THE CARIBBEAN” ' "o Coast Ports, A sory, with illustrations, about the Pi oo SAILING UNDER THE AMERICAN FLAG SOUTH AMERICA UNITED FRUIT COMPANY STEAMSHIP SERVICE comicbooks.com