Life, 1918-09-12 · page 34 of 34
Life — September 12, 1918 — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire** — it's a straightforward advertisement for Williams' shaving products, appearing in Life magazine (likely early 20th century, given the date notation "September"). The page showcases four Williams' shaving soap products: a stick, liquid, powder, and cream. The central image is a cheerful man demonstrating the "Holder Top Shaving Stick," the featured innovation. The ad's pitch is straightforward: Williams claims 77 years of expertise in shaving soap quality. The "Holder Top" is presented as a convenience feature — a metal grip that makes applying soap easier. The text emphasizes this philosophy: quality comes first (the soap itself), with convenience as a secondary bonus. There is no political content, satire, or hidden meaning — this is period advertising aimed at male consumers, emphasizing both product quality and practical user improvement.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Four forms of Williams’ Shaving Soaps tamps for teat size of the four fos Or send Oe. ia stamps fur any one, The J. B. Wi D Williams LaToscaRose It is easier to add a convenience than it is to create quality. The creamy, softening, lasting lather of Williams’ Shaving Soap is the important thing. _ It is the result of 77 years of special- izing on shaving soap. The Holder Top is just an added advantage. It makes this wonderful lather more easily avail- able by providing a firm, metal grip for the fingers when applying the soap to the face. Ask for Williams’ Holder Top Shaving Stick. Then you’ll get quality in the soap and convenience in using it, comicbooks.com