Life, 1916-08-17 · page 27 of 38
Life — August 17, 1916 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **full-page advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. It promotes Franco-American Soups, a commercial product marketed to Americans desiring convenient "French" cuisine. The illustrated figure is a stylized **French chef** character—a common advertising trope of the era—meant to evoke sophistication and authenticity. The pitch emphasizes *convenience* for middle-class consumers: canned soups arrive by mail or grocer delivery, eliminating actual cooking labor. The humor (mild for modern readers) lies in the marketing's irony: these mass-produced American canned soups are marketed as "French delicacies" requiring no skill, no "elaborate kitchen," and minimal heating. The ad targets busy housewives and vacation-home owners seeking the *appearance* of culinary refinement without actual effort. Prices listed (35¢ quart, 20¢ pint) reflect early 20th-century costs. The page reflects period attitudes about gender, convenience, and commercialized aspirations to European sophistication.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Cy case of SJrench cookery wherever you are Those who like Franco-American Soups—and they are legion—find it convenient to order it by the case for their summer homes. Ir is easier to jot an order to your grocer than to fuss about making the soup at home. Moreover, it would require an elaborate kitchen indeed and our own chefs to produce for you such delightfully French soups as these. Franco-American Soups in your pantry are so many first aids to the brain-weary menu- maker. You will be astonished how constantly you will draw upon them—for the home meal, the picnic, the motor-trip, the boating party—for the ice-cold “bracer” after exercise, for the piping hot nourisher on the damp and foggy days. reparation is necessary! If you are in a remote place, let Uncle Sam and the “ahead bring you your consign- ment of this “French” deliciousness. Or if a good grocery store is near at hand, a phone message will suffice. Merely heat before serving Thirty-five cents the quart Twenty cents the pint ~ At the better stores Franco- American Let | us give youa coats of our lcd OO Guill iD comicbooks.com