Life, 1918-03-28 · page 40 of 40
Life — March 28, 1918 — page 40: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Victor Talking Machine Company advertisement**, not satirical content. It compares two famous singers to promote phonograph recording technology. The ad contrasts **Jenny Lind** (a 19th-century Swedish opera singer, now deceased) with **Nelba** (likely Damita de Melba, a celebrated soprano), arguing that while Lind's voice is lost to history, Melba's voice is "immortalized" through Victor Records. The implicit message: recording technology preserves artistry forever—buy Victor phonographs and records. The staged theatrical image shows performers on stage before an audience, emphasizing Melba's live appeal while the text argues recordings make her permanent. For modern readers: this predates widespread radio and film. Recording technology was revolutionary and novel as a preservation medium. The ad positions Victor machines as essential for experiencing great music, whether live or recorded.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
| Victor Supremacy I Jatt. PPLE J enny Lind is only a memory, . but the voice of Melba can never die Two voices of finest, purest gold. One is gone forever. The other lives for all time. There was no Victrola to capture the fleeting beauties of Jenny Lind. But Melba’s voice will still be heard in centuries to come. To-day Melba herself thrills and entrances vast audiences throughout the world. Happy singer and happy public, that her flawless, limpid notes will flow forever in undiminished beauty from her Victor Records! Practically every great singer and instrumentalist of this generation makes records only for the Victor—thus perpetuating their art for all time. Victors and Victrolas, $10 to $400. Victor dealers everywhere. New Victor Records demonstrated at all dealers on the Ist of each month. “Victrola” is the Registered Trademark of the Victor Talking Machine Company designating the products of this, ‘ompany only. The use of the word Victrola upon of in the promotion or sale of any other Talking Machine or Phonogaph products is muleading and illegal Important Notice. Vicior Records and Victor Machines are scientifically coordinated and synchronized by our special processes of manufacture. and thew use, one with the other, 5 absolurely essental to 3 perfect Victor reproduction.