Life, 1919-04-10 · page 45 of 46
Life — April 10, 1919 — page 45: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising**, not editorial satire. The dominant content is a W.L. Douglas Shoes advertisement featuring a cartoon scene of a salesman pitching shoes to a customer. The **shoe ad's visual joke** is straightforward: it shows a well-dressed salesman convincing a working-class man (identifiable by his worn clothes and hat) that Douglas shoes are worth their price. The accompanying text emphasizes Douglas's innovation of stamping retail prices directly on shoes to prevent price-gouging and fraud—a consumer-protection measure unusual for the era. The ad's appeal is aspirational: it promises that affordable shoes ($4-8) offer the same quality as expensive ones ($10-12), democratizing access to "smart styles" from "fashion centers of America." Below is a smaller **Waterman Fountain Pen advertisement** with a globe map, and a cartoon of a man wearing "rakish overseas caps"—likely referencing WWI military headgear, suggesting patriotic/wartime relevance. The page also lists recent book releases, typical for *Life* magazine's cultural coverage.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE: The Latest Books irms, by Centurion. " by Geo. Lane Co. 0.) Fleta Campbell Springer Ichrist and Walt as B, Horned. s, by Arthur Stanly Merrill Company, Indian n Box, by E. V. Lacas n Company, $ ic, by Harry F . Chicago, IL nets, by C. Dawson mpany, $1.25.) Peter McArthur. (John . $t.g0.) Soldier, by Temple I Nalph Fletcher Seymour, Chi- ¢ Secret Service, by Val- (R. M. McBride & Co., from Long Acre, by Victor P. Putnam's Sons.) of Siona, by Ernest Good- ghion Mifflin Company, $16 A Daughter of Two Worlds, by Le Roy Scott. (Houghton Mifilin Company, feman Ranker and Other n Gordon. (The Four Seas ston, Mass., $1.30.) by Kathlyn Rhodes, ) , by John McCrac $1.50.) ! c, by Elise West ¢ Cornhill Company.) s Verse, by Haines and Har icld & Co., $1.50.) of Philadelphia, by Robt (The Penn Publishing Com “W.L.DOUGLAS SHOES ARE ALWAYS WORTH THE PRICE PAID FOR THEM” als Li TET oT na aT guresnnvUC adieu i | DETAR | by : “THE SHOE THAT HOLDS ITS $4.00 $4-50 $500 $600 $790 & $8.00 IF you have been paying $10.00 to $12.00 for fine shoes, a | 4 trial will convince you that for style, comfort and service W. L. Douglas $7.00 and $8.00 shoes are equally as good and will give excellent satisfaction. The actual value is determined and the retail price fixed at the factory before W. L. Douglas name and the retail priceis stamped on the bottom. Thestamped price is W. L. Douglas personal guarantee that the shoes are always worth the price paid for them. The retail prices are Beat in theWorld $353.5054 thesame everywhere. Theycost no more in San Francisco than they do in New York. Stamping the price on every pair of shoes as a protection against high prices and unreasonable profits is only one example of the constant endeavor of W. L. Douglas to protect his customers. The quality of W. L. Douglas product is guaranteed by more than 40 years experience in making fine shoes. The smart styles are the leaders in the fashion centers of America. They are made in a well-equipped factory at Brockton, Mass., by the highest paid, skilled shoemakers under the direction and supervision of experienced men, all working with an honest deter- mination to make the best shoes for the price that money can buy. CAUTION—Before you buy be sure W. L. Douglas name and the retail price is stamped on the bottom and the inside top facing. If the stamped price has been mutilated, BEWARE OF FRAUD. For sale by 106 W.L.Douglas stores and over 9000 W. L. Douglas dealers, or can be ordered direct from factory by mail, Parcel Post charges pre- paid. Write for Illustrated Catalog showing how to order by mail. President W. L. Douglas Shoe Co., 147 Spark St., Brockton, Mass. in $2.50 and up AT BEST DEALERS SS ‘L.E.Waterman Co. NEW YORK BOSTON CHICAGO SAN FRANCISCO THE CONSEQUENCE OF WEARING THOSE. RAKISH OVERSE cars comicbooks.com