Life, 1917-12-06 · page 3 of 92
Life — December 6, 1917 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Victor Victrola advertisement**, not political satire. The full-page ad asks "Will there be a Victrola in your home this Christmas?" The image depicts an elaborate Christmas scene with wealthy people in formal dress gathered around a decorated home, with Santa Claus and gifts visible. The ad promotes Victrola phonographs as luxury Christmas gifts, listing famous opera singers and classical musicians whose recordings are "exclusively for the Victor." The Victor dog logo ("His Master's Voice") appears at the bottom. The accompanying text emphasizes that Victrolas range from $10 to $200 and are available through Victor dealers worldwide. **This is consumer marketing**, positioning the phonograph as a sophisticated, aspirational Christmas purchase for affluent households—not political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Will there be a Victrola in your home this Christmas? Will Santa Claus usher into your home on Christmas morning the artistic Genius of all the world—the singers, the instrumentalists, the composers, the comedians who rule as the monarchs of Art and Laughter? Caruso, Alda, Calvé, De Luca, Farrar, Galli-Curci, Gluck, Hempel, Homer, Kreisler, Martinelli, McCormack, Melba, Ruffo, Schumann-Heink, Scotti, Tetrazzini, Victor Herbert, Harry Lauder, Sousa—these are names that promise you the greatest music and entertainment that the world has to offer. All these illustrious artists—and many more—make records exclusively for the Victor. The Victrola is the supreme gift—enjoyed by all the family every day in the year. There are Victors and Victrolas in great variety of styles from $10 to $400, and there are Victor dealers in every city in the world who will gladly demonstrate them and play any music you wish to hear. “Victrola” is the Registered Trade-mark of the Victor Talking Machine Company designating the products of this Company only. The use of the word Victrola upon or in the promotion or sale of any other Talking Machine or Phono;