Life, 1919-05-15 · page 10 of 50
Life — May 15, 1919 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Victrola phonograph advertisement**, not a political cartoon. The page promotes the Victor Talking Machine Company's "Victrola" brand record players. The advertisement's main appeal is **brand authentication**—it emphasizes identifying genuine Victrolas by the "His Master's Voice" trademark (the famous image of a dog listening to a gramophone). The text warns consumers against inferior substitutes, stressing that only authentic Victrolas bear this distinctive trademark on the cabinet. The "Look inside the lid!" headline directs buyers to check for the trademark as proof of genuine manufacture. This reflects early 20th-century consumer concerns about counterfeit products. The company positions the Victrola as "the choice of the world's greatest artists," using prestige marketing to justify the premium product.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
eels inside the lid! | If it hasn’t this trademark, it isn’t a Victrola You can readily identify the Victrola by the famous Victor trademark ‘His Master’s Voice.’’ It is not a Victrola without the Victor dog. This trademark is on every Victrola. It guarantees the quality and protects you from inferior substitutes. The word ‘‘Victrola’’ is also a registered trademark of the Victor Talking Machine Company. _ It is derived from the word ‘‘Victor’’ and designates the products of the Victor Company only. As applied to sound- reproducing instruments, ‘‘Victrola’’ refers only tothe instruments made by the Victor Company—the choice of the world’s greatest artists. Look inside the lid —insist upon sceing the famous Victor trademarks. On the portable styles which have no lid, the Victor trademark appears on the side of the cabinet. Victor Talking Machine Co., Camden, N. J., U.S. A. Comichbooks.con