Life — December 14, 1916 — page 42: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a cigarette advertisement from Life magazine, dated December 14, 1916. It shows an elegantly wrapped gift box with a ribbon and bow, featuring text that reads "A Suggestion" and "And he likes the best cigarettes." This is not political satire or a cartoon—it's a commercial advertisement. The "suggestion" targets gift-givers during the holiday season, proposing cigarettes as an appropriate present for men. The wrapped-box presentation emphasizes gifting and luxury. By modern standards, this advertisement is notable primarily for openly marketing cigarettes without health warnings, which would be illegal today. The ad reflects early-20th-century attitudes when smoking was socially acceptable and widely promoted, particularly as a masculine consumer good suitable for holiday gift-giving.