Life, 1917-09-27 · page 39 of 40
Life — September 27, 1917 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily **advertising and promotional content** for Vanity Fair magazine itself, not political satire. The cover illustration shows a stylized, art deco-era woman in an elaborate, textured dress and bob haircut—typical 1920s fashion imagery. The figure appears to represent the modern, sophisticated woman the magazine appeals to. The accompanying text pitches Vanity Fair as protection against "boredom" and "dullness," offering readers access to "social and artistic ropes"—meaning inside knowledge of fashion, sports, theater, cabarets, and culture. The promotional copy uses militaristic language ("rage fire," "Bertha"), comparing the magazine's wit to wartime firepower—likely referencing World War I, which was recent when this was published. **The pitch**: For 25 cents at newsstands or a dollar for a winter subscription, readers gain entry to sophisticated cultural commentary. The tone assumes readers want to appear knowledgeable and fashionable, positioning Vanity Fair as essential to that identity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
It’s all in Know- ing the Ropes What ropes? Why, the and artistic ropes, NM of them . fashion, sport, a. jotors, cabarets, a! In short, the wx) ) f nce ard MI it ore our the the . ¥ H hic, ' x Me 4 Gus : Ss CHEERFULLY, the 1to- et : Vanity Fair makes the world safe h 7 I = for optimism, tis the one effec the j { \ > tual weapon against the attacks of duliness and intellectual old age. If you would be protected j (4 ‘ \; . from the unspeakable atrocities and + Nt: \s nt of boredom, keep behind the bar- hi >) : cL 999 i, rage fire of the busiest Bertha the Z Al 7 pee \ among all the rapid-fire magazine are p guns, ther t its aces orth hey edit sand onts. these This is the cover—reduced—of the October issue of Vanity Fair EN t Buy Vanity Fair at the News-stands—for 25 Cents—or for a Dollar Get a Winter of It. One Little Green Dollar Will Bring You the Next Five Issues of Vanity Fair—and even six, if you mail the coupon in the right-hand corner in double-quick time. comicbooks.com