Life, 1917-02-01 · page 40 of 40
Life — February 1, 1917 — page 40: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **advertising, not satire or political commentary**. It's a Columbia Grafonola (record player) advertisement from February 1, 1917, promoting the opera "Madame Butterfly." The page features a theatrical scene illustration showing figures in Japanese-inspired costumes with parasols, referencing Puccini's opera set in Japan. The text emphasizes that listeners can experience this "enchanted realm of grand opera" through Columbia Records at home. The advertisement targets middle-to-upper-class consumers by promising access to world-class operatic performance—"your favorite opera, your favorite aria"—via recorded technology. The pricing ($15-$350) and promotional language ("nightly delight," "greatest of musical instruments") suggest this is luxury consumer marketing rather than editorial content or satire. There are no political caricatures or jokes visible—this is straightforward product promotion in a magazine known for humor and commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
February 1, 1917 e Butterfly.”. The aa ‘el di Vedremo,” the greatest a aria spera, is in itself enough to transport de hearer to the Fairyland of Spring in Japan. Hie. whole- enchanted realm’ of grand opera, with all its’ splendor and wealth of beauty, comes to life through the magic portals of the ‘ Your favorite opera, your favorite aria, ig by world-famed artists, is translated into ae. enthralling reality on Columbia Records. The opera canbe a nightly delight, hearing its: great voices a joy at your instant call, if-you have this greatest of musical in- peep luni operatic records in a Columbia Grafonola at Prices $15 to $350. th af every month. comicbooks.com