Life, 1916-12-21 · page 36 of 36
Life — December 21, 1916 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **cigarette advertisement** for Richmond Straight Cut Cigarettes, not political satire. The small illustration at top depicts a nostalgic Christmas scene—people ice-skating on a frozen pond near a farmhouse—with a caption referencing Virginia cigarettes brought north by someone named Virgil Lee. The ad's pitch exploits **wartime nostalgia**. Published December 21, 1916 (during World War I, before U.S. entry), it targets Americans separated from home by military service or war-related work ("Most of us can't leave our Tickers and Tots"). Richmond Straight Cut is marketed as an "old-time" luxury connecting buyers to pre-war American traditions and comfort. The advertisement claims these were "the first high-grade cigarette made in the United States" and positions them as superior to mass-produced "commercial" alternatives—a common marketing distinction of the era. The price (fifteen cents) and mail-order details suggest wartime distribution challenges. This reflects 1916 economic and social conditions, not political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Christmas Day, 18——, After dinner, we skated on Barkers Pond, where the Virginia cigarettes, brought North by Mr. Virgil Lee, proved surprisingly acceptable.” “Back home for Christmas’? —remem- ber? Most of us can’t leave our Tickers and Tots to shake hands with the old customs as we'd like, but we can FIFTEEN CENTS PREFERRED BYGENTLEMEN NOW AS THEN gather around us the genuine, old-time reminders. There’s a treasure-trove of memories in every box of good, old Richmond Straight Cut Cigarettes. The first high-grade cigarette made in the United States, they have a staid charm and a quaint, old-time delicacy unknown to ‘‘commercial” cigarettes. Your guests will appreciate them after the Christmas dinner. These cigarettes are also packed in attractive tins, suitable for Christmas gifts, 50 for 40c; 100 for 75c. Sent post-paid on receipt of price if your dealer cannot supply you. RICHMOND. Vinci. USA, Allen? Yindery weaminnn wae oma, Richmond Straight Cut PLAINS CORK TIPS CIGARETTES December 21, 1916