Life, 1918-07-04 · page 28 of 36
Life — July 4, 1918 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page reproduces a German wartime propaganda pamphlet from October 1917, during World War I. The Association of German Amateur Photographers urges Germans to buy only German photographic equipment—cameras, film, and paper—to support the domestic industry and avoid enriching enemy nations (specifically America and Britain). The pamphlet argues that using foreign photography products, particularly Kodak (identified as American-British owned), indirectly funds enemy war efforts by generating millions of marks in profits that support enemy war bonds. **The satire**: Life magazine is presenting this as an example of German wartime nationalism and economic desperation. By republishing it to American readers in 1917 (when the U.S. had just entered WWI), Life ridicules German attempts to isolate their economy and the absurdity of treating consumer goods as patriotic warfare—while implicitly highlighting American industrial dominance, particularly Kodak's market power.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
To the People of Germany they said: nur deutfhe Erzeugniffe gu vermenden und dadued die deutfhe Induftrie yu unterfinen. Deshald oerwendet fir eure photographifhen Jmede nur deutfhe Romeras, deutfhe Platten und Filme. beutfche Papiere! Wer die €rpcugalffe der feindlihen Induftrietauft Markt SfeMietfdaftetcoh unfrerseinde | Deutihe, merét end fiir alle Feiten, dah mit eurer Lnterftiigung die ameri« tanifdsenglifhe Rodat Gelellfthoft fon vor dem Aelege mit Amerita cund SO Mitlionen Mart auf bie Reiegeanteiben unferer Seinde seinen Lonnte! €s gibt feine deutfdjen Rodats’ Kodat’ als Sammelname fiir photographifhe €r- Jeugnife Mt falfe und bepeidynet nur die Sabritate ber Coftman-Redet-Company. Wer von einem Rodat {pridt und nurallgemeineine photographifhe Ramera meint, bedentt nicht, Daf er mit der Weiter verbreitung diefesWortes die deutfseInduftcie Jugunften dee ameritanifd=englifden [Hadigt. Derband Deutfdher Amateurphotographen = Dereine. Bertin Steph, im Olteder 1917 Defect Crrebe 13 The illustration shows a pamphlet signed by the Association of German Amateur Photographers’ Societies and dated Berlin, October, 1917. It is reproduced from a photographic copy lately received in this country. The translation in full is given on Opposite page.