Life, 1919-07-17 · page 39 of 40
Life — July 17, 1919 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **tobacco advertisement**, not political satire. It appeared in *Life* magazine promoting Prince Albert pipe tobacco by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. The image shows a caricatured gentleman smoking a pipe, labeled "the national joy smoke." The ad uses colloquial, playful language ("smokeluck," "smokemotor," "smokethrottle") to pitch the product's appeal. It emphasizes that Prince Albert tobacco is superior because it "can't bite or parch" and uses an "exclusive patented process." The advertisement targets male smokers, suggesting that using this tobacco will make them so happy they'll want photographs of themselves. It promises availability in various packaging formats (bags, tins, humidors). This reflects early 20th-century advertising norms when tobacco was openly promoted without health warnings, and such ads appeared regularly in mainstream publications like *Life*.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
any ontrel . He rail sping <phee /, works RINGE ALBERT the national joy smoke AY, you'll have a streak of smokeluck that'll put pep-in-your-smokemotor, all right, if you'll ring-in with a jimmy pipe or cigarette papers and nail some Prince Albert for packing! Just between ourselves, you never will wise-up to high-spot-smoke-joy until you can call a pipe or a home made cigarette by its first name, then, to hit the peak- of-pleasure you land square on that two-fisted-man-tobacco, Prince Albert! Well, sir, you'll be so all-fired happy you'll want to get a photograph of yourself breezing up the pike with your smokethrottle wide open! Quality makes Prince Albert so different, so appealing. And, P, A. can’t bite or parch. Both are cut out by our exclusive patented process! Right now while the going’s good you get out your old jimmy pipe or the “papers” and land on some P. A. for what ails your particular smokeappetite! Bay Prince Albert everywhere tobacco is sold. Toppy red bags, tidy red tins, hendsome pound and half pound tin hamidors—and—that classy, ractical pound crystal glass humidor with sponge moistener top that the tobacco in such perfect condition. Mo Y R. J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO CO., Winston-Salem, N. C. FCigAme TIE TORAcEoE comicbooks.com