Life, 1917-05-03 · page 33 of 42
Life — May 3, 1917 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **tobacco advertisement** for Velvet brand pipe tobacco, not political satire. The cartoon depicts Father Time (the winged figure labeled "Father Time") guarding a tobacco warehouse from a group of impatient men in top hats—likely representing tobacco merchants or competitors. They're clamoring for the product, but Father Time refuses, saying "I won't be ready to give you this for two years. It's for VELVET." The **satire's point**: The ad mocks competitors who rush their product to market. Velvet claims superiority through patience—aging tobacco naturally for two years rather than forcing quick production. The "too many cooks spoil the broth" proverb reinforces this message. The caricatured men appear to represent impatient businessmen or rival tobacco makers, not specific political figures. This is **commercial satire**, using humor to sell a product by contrasting Velvet's careful methods against industry shortcuts.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Ss We Won’t Say VELVET is the Best Pipe Tobacco— Wecouldn’t until we had tried every tobacco made, but—we know that most American pipe smokers agree that Kentucky Burley is the world’s choicest pipe tobacco. We know that this tobacco can only be at its best after two years’ natural ageing, and we take the time and pay the price to age VELVET in Nature’s sure, patient way. Too many cooks spoil the broth. When Time and Na- ture are makin’ VELVET, no use anybody else stirrin’ in. LAY comicbooks.com