Life, 1916-03-30 · page 44 of 45
Life — March 30, 1916 — page 44: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **product advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes the Victrola (a phonograph/record player) by Victor Talking Machine Co., dated March 30, 1916. The illustrated scene shows an elegant dinner party where a Victrola solves social awkwardness: it provides dance music when conversation lags, supplies opera melodies on demand, and generally ensures entertainment flows smoothly throughout an evening. The "joke" or pitch is that hosting becomes effortless with a Victrola—it's the hostess's solution to any uncomfortable moment. The advertisement appeals to middle-to-upper-class aspirations by depicting formal evening entertainment and suggesting the device enables social success. The price range ($10–$400) and the "His Master's Voice" logo (the famous Victor trademark featuring a dog) are period-authentic details. This represents early 20th-century consumer marketing targeting domestic entertaining and the novelty of recorded music as a status symbol and practical household necessity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
CO —— ttl PIVDUCUGHGRGNEAEGUITET Hl LAAT UTE TT The best friend of a hostess is the Victrola The hostess who has a Victrola never need worry about how the evening will “go.” Is there an awkward moment after the guests leave the dinner table? A Victrola will “break the ice.” Do the young people get tired of general conversation? A Victrola will furnish the latest dance music and set their feet to sliding. Does someone mention a melody from the latest opera? Let us try it on the Victrola. Always there is the Victrola—the treasure house of entertainment in reserve—always ready to satisfy every musical longing. Is your home like this? It might be—so easily. There are Victors and Victrolas in great variety of styles from $10 to $400, and any Victor dealer in any cit) in the world will gladly demonstrate them to you. Victor Talking Machine Co., Camden, N. J., U.S. A. Berliner Gramophone Co., Montreal, Canadian Distributors Important warning. Victor Records can be alely and saitactoiy layed oaly with Victer Needles or Tangs tone Styles oa Victors or Vietrolas. Victer Records cansct be safely played on machines with jeweled or other repredecing povats. — Victrola LOCALE ATTEN TOGO comicbooks.com