Life — June 19, 1919 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is **primarily an advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. It promotes the Victrola, a phonograph manufactured by Victor Talking Machine Co. in Camden, New Jersey. The ad's headline—"Music that is more than a memory"—emphasizes the novelty of recorded music as a permanent home possession. The central oval illustration shows an opera/concert scene, flanked by figures labeled "Caruso as Canio" (left) and "Gluck as Noldi" (right), referencing famous opera singers whose recordings were available. The bottom section displays numerous female performers, likely opera singers whose voices could be purchased on Victor records. The "His Master's Voice" logo appears in the corner. The ad promises customers access to world-class performances without attending live events—a significant technological innovation for the era.