Life, 1919-09-25 · page 37 of 40
Life — September 25, 1919 — page 37: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Gillette razor advertisement** disguised as editorial content—a common advertising practice in early 20th-century magazines. **The satire and context:** The page includes three distinct articles: a book review of Leonard Merrick's novel, a humorous poem about postage stamps (now two cents, a bargain), and commentary on bestselling authors Harold Bell Wright versus James Oliver Curwood. The Wright-Curwood section uses boxing/bullfighting metaphors ("matador," "grind each other's") to describe their commercial competition for readers. **What moderns would miss:** The casual reference to William Randolph Hearst entering book publishing to promote Curwood suggests publisher rivalries were considered newsworthy. The postage stamp poem celebrates postal reform (reduced rates), which was genuinely significant economically. The Gillette ad emphasizes "No Stropping—No Honing"—meaningfully because contemporary razors *required* regular maintenance. This was revolutionary convenience marketing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
EONARD MERRICK < to any story a flavor indescribably to men and women who really life. You would buy CONRAD IN EST OF HIS YOUTH to-day if you real- ved the unusual pleasure and charm | fesalling pages Net $1.73 for a descriptive circular of Merrick's no LPDUTTON & CO., 681 Fifth Ave., N.Y. AA Postage Stamp OW stamps are down to two cents eo However high our rents may be. She writes to him—he writes to her For one whole penny less than three! The coalman lures us to his lair; The iceman bleeds us like a vamp. How sweet to greet with welcor fair The nifty, thrifty postage stamp! a post stamp Abddin’s lamp— That speeds its way on w A wondrous thing—it back may bring or a grand estate! ) mystic of tense delight A charm no sorceress can brew Is in the red that crowns your he: Above your slick small lick of x The only thing that’s cheap, ‘tis true— Aladdin's lamp for pennies two! Mabel Haughton Collyer. King Harold Defends His Laurels AROLD BELL WRIGHT has published a new novel and neg- lected to entitle it “ Mush Ado About Nothing.” Harold has held the best- seller supremacy so long, however, that anumber of publishers are grooming their favorite bunkpushers for a last long battle to elbow Harold away from the public bosom. One of these aspir- ants is James Oliver Curwood, the 2 of a number of hooks, bound very estimably in cloth, with quite nicely printed pages and neatly illus- trated. Mr. Hearst has re-entered the book-publishing business in the hope of getting James over as Harold's matador. Let them grind each other's Love's mi STANDS “LIFE: The Shaving Service- 563 illette for Every Man~Everywhere The Delicate Skin of Your Cheek and NoStropping—No Honing HE man who wants to keep his skin fresh and youthful should be careful how he treats it in shaving. He needs a sharp blade—every time he shaves—to save his beard from being pulled, his skin from roughness and irritation. There is just one way to be sure of your shaving edge — use a Gillette. Get the benefit of the great modern Gillette principle —No Stropping— No Honing. No Stropping—No Honing signi- fies that the Gillette Blade has been sharpened scientifically at our factory. That you can depend on its shaving edge always sharp, smooth and lasting. That you do not have to strop or hone it to make it do its work. Basket Pattern Pocket Edition Metal case, with Razor and 12 double. edged Gillette I (24 Shaving Edges) Gold or silver plated MADE IN No Stropping—No Honing Known the World Over ERE is the famous Gil mark— the mark of the one g in all history. “No Stropping—No Honin, highest type of new in principl The te application of t will appe necessary labor and valuable time. GILLETTE SAFETY RAZOR COMPANY BOSTON, MASS., U. S. A. New York - London — Chicago - Paris - Milan San Francisco - Montreal - Copenhagen - Petrograd ——_z{_—————_ Exclusive Havano Cigar MADE IN BOND U.S. QUARANTEE — CAD THE WuITE STAM ON CACH BOX “CuestaRey, faces in the sand of the arena. Neither of them will get near enough to the well of the Muses to mud Res HOOD and hi. had an unwritten Tue le with the truth about Russia t it seems to be all about Russia without getting very far inside —New York Evening Post, comicbooks.com