Life, 1916-11-02 · page 45 of 46
Life — November 2, 1916 — page 45: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **product advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. It promotes Great Western Champagne, made by Pleasant Valley Wine Company in Rheims, New York. The image features a fashionable woman in 1920s styling—cloche hat, pearl necklace, and elegant dress—positioned beside a champagne bottle. The ad's appeal is aspirational: it emphasizes that this American-made champagne earned "Gold Medals" at prestigious European expositions (Paris 1889, Brussels 1910, Vienna 1873), positioning it as worthy of European approval. The tagline "Right in Style (A La Mode)" reinforces this marketing strategy: American consumers could purchase sophisticated French-style champagne without importing it. The ad exploits post-WWI American confidence and growing consumer culture, suggesting that American products could match European prestige and elegance.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
dy | Right in Sty ie han (A La Modé) Made i in America—Highest Honors in F rance “BRUT § SPECIAL 1903” “EXTRA DRY” “SPECIAL “RESERVE” (absolutely brut) (very dry) Produced by the old French slow method of fermentation in the bottle taking from six to seven years of time Great Western is the Only American Champagne ever awarded a Gold Medal at Foreign Expositions Paris Exposition, 199, France Bruxelles Exposition, 1910, Belgium Bruxelles Exposition, 1877, Bel is Exposition, 189, France Vienna Exposition, 1573, Austria Paris Exposition, 1967, ; ies PLEASANT VALLEY WINE COMPANY, RHEIMS, N. Y. Oldest and largest producers of Champagne in America SE ET cling An- comicbooks.com.