Life — January 24, 1918 — page 40: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is an advertisement for **Duratex** (a product whose specific purpose is unclear from the visible text). The image depicts Lady Justice—the allegorical female figure traditionally symbolizing the legal system—holding scales and a torch. She stands prominently in classical dress with winged figures below her. The advertisement appears to invoke ideals of fairness, progress, and enduring quality by associating the product with Justice itself. The classical imagery and allegorical presentation were common advertising strategies in early-to-mid 20th century American magazines, lending products an air of reliability and moral authority. The OCR'd text below the image is too degraded to read clearly, but likely explains how Duratex embodies these virtues of justice and permanence.