Life, 1919-04-03 · page 54 of 60
Life — April 3, 1919 — page 54: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising, not satire or political commentary**. It features a full-page advertisement for A. A. Vantine & Co., a New York retailer specializing in imported Japanese kimonos. The ad includes a photograph of a woman modeling an ornate kimono with floral patterns and flowing sleeves, shown from behind. The text emphasizes the garments' "Eastern splendor" and exotic appeal, marketing them as fashionable springtime wear for American women. This reflects **early 20th-century American Orientalism**—the romanticized fascination with Asian aesthetics among wealthy American consumers. The rhetoric about Japan as "the very birthplace of kimonos" and "Flowery Kingdom" caters to period desires for luxury imports and the exotic. There is no evident political message; this is straightforward commercial promotion targeting affluent female readers of *Life* magazine.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PASSES 1s PSO SFOS OF Springtime Kimonos HERE is a gleam of Eastern splendor in these beautiful Oriental creations—an exquisite harmony of tint, richness of texture and grace of fold—that American women will be sure to appreciate. From quaint old Japan—the very birthplace of kimonos—come the selections which comprise the Vantine stock and include kimonos of soft silks and crepes, Woven mid the romantic environment of the Flowery Kingdom. Prices and full particulars promptly furnished upon request. A-VA-VANTINE: &-CO- Fifth Avenue & goth Street NEW YORK eRe epee ROYCL GC ORTSE TIGER ETEQOS: SOWA ERO IC ee ONE POO