Life — June 19, 1919 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Page Analysis This page contains two distinct elements: **Left side:** A rhymed review poem titled "Fighting the Flying Circus" by Capt. Edward V. Rickenbacker (Frederick A. Stokes Co.). The poem celebrates Eddie Rickenbacker, America's top WWI fighter pilot, using dramatic rhyming couplets about aerial combat. References to "German," "Treuton flaming," and combat tactics indicate it's commemorating his wartime heroics. The adjacent illustration shows a figure crouching, possibly depicting a combat scene. **Right side:** A full-page advertisement for the AutoStrop Pocket Kit razor—a self-stropping razor blade system. The ad emphasizes convenience for travelers and sportsmen, guaranteeing 500 shaves per dozen blades. The juxtaposition appears accidental—the poem honoring a war hero shares space with a consumer product advertisement, typical of Life magazine's mixed editorial and advertising content format.