Life, 1916-11-02 · page 46 of 46
Life — November 2, 1916 — page 46: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **a Victrola phonograph advertisement**, not a political cartoon. It appeared in *Life* magazine on November 2, 1916. The ad promotes the Victrola as a home entertainment device that brings opera performances into ordinary households. It names famous opera singers of the era—Caruso, Gigli, Farrar, Martinelli, and Ruffo—whose recordings could be played on the machine. The advertisement emphasizes that listeners can now hear "the greatest artists of all the world right in your own home." The dark photograph shows what appears to be an interior scene, likely meant to evoke an intimate home listening experience. The "His Master's Voice" logo (featuring the famous dog listening to a phonograph) appears at bottom right. This represents early 20th-century consumer culture: selling the Victrola as a luxury item that democratizes access to high-culture entertainment (opera) previously available only to the wealthy who could attend live performances. The price started at $15.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
November 2, 1916 4 The Victrola brings | the opera right into your home artists famous for their master-interpretations of arrar, Martinelli, Ruffo, are among the mighty group the Victrola brings to you to sing the capt sic of Carmen. : So it i throughout the entire range of opera and of all music and entertainment—with a \V e picture is Victrola XVI Victor Talking Machine Company, Camden, N. New Victor Records demonstrated at all dealers on the 28th of each month Victrola