Life — November 9, 1916 — page 40: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a **cigarette advertisement**, not political satire. It appeared in *Life* magazine on November 9, 1916. The ad promotes **Fatima Turkish Blend Cigarettes** made by Cameron & Cameron Co. (Richmond, VA), priced at "20 for 15¢." The image features an ornate cigarette pack decorated with a turbaned figure and Islamic architectural elements (a mosque with dome and minarets), emphasizing the "Turkish" branding. The text claims it's "The Original Turkish Blend" and "A Sensible Cigarette"—marketing language suggesting quality and value. This reflects early 20th-century advertising practices using Orientalist imagery to market "exotic" tobacco products. The term "sensible" likely played on contemporary health debates about cigarettes, though by modern standards such advertising would be considered misleading and offensive in its cultural stereotyping.