Life, 1917-05-17 · page 3 of 35
Life — May 17, 1917 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily an advertisement for the Encyclopedia Britannica, not political satire. The cartoon illustrates a sales pitch using urgency and emotional appeal. **The Image:** A large, stern figure (likely representing a salesman or authority figure) leans over a small, frightened man, with an exclamation point between them. The visual metaphor emphasizes pressure and alarm. **The Message:** The ad uses fear-based marketing, claiming that the "last set" of Encyclopedia Britannica printed on genuine India paper will be sold May 26th. It warns customers they must order immediately or "never be able to buy it, no matter how much you want it." **The Satire:** The exaggerated urgency and melodramatic tone parody high-pressure sales tactics. The cartoon mocks how salesmen manufacture artificial scarcity and panic to drive purchases—a critique of manipulative advertising itself.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
=i NOW or NEVER Next Saturday, May 26th, possibly before, will see the sale of the last set, in the entire world, of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, printed on genuine India paper. This is the most certain thing in LIFE. Unless you order your set by or before next Saturday you will never be able to buy it, no matter how much you want it, no matter how much you will be willing to pay for it. Don’t buy the Britannica unless you know it will prove use- ful to you. If you do know, there is only one way by which you can get your order in before the last remaining set is sold— SIGN THIS “RESERVE ORDER" FORM. PIN A DOLLAR BILL TO IT AND MAIL IT THIS MINUTE The complete set, 29 volumes, will be shipped on a first payment of $1.00, to be followed, for a limited period, by monthly payments as little as $3.00—10 cents a day—(for the cloth binding). This “Reserve Order” Form will be legally binding upon us to reserve for you one set of the “Handy Volume” Issue of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Printed on genuine India paper, just the same as if you ordered it in person. (LOLIOLLLODULOLLILLLLLILULLLLLLLLALLLLILOLILLILLULLLLLLOLLLOLLLALILOLLELLILODELIDEDED SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO., Chicago, Illinois Please reserve s e) dy Volume” En- cyclopaedia Brit efhine India paper. I enclose $1.00 mG ‘Seid me an order form which I agree to turn immediately. Name. Street and Number. City P, O. Address, 1-170 AANA comicbooks.com