Life, 1919-12-04 · page 56 of 80
Life — December 4, 1919 — page 56: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising**, with a small literary poem. The main content includes: **Waterman's Ideal Fountain Pen** (large ad): Features a soldier in military uniform—likely a World War I American serviceman. The copy emphasizes the pen as an appropriate Christmas gift, suggesting soldiers deployed abroad as the intended market. **"Les Champs-Elysées" poem**: A nostalgic verse apparently about French soldiers ("poilu" = French WWI infantryman) homesick for Paris's famous boulevard and French countryside. It references soldiers finding the afterlife ("Paradise") dull, implying commentary on wartime displacement and longing for home. **Supporting ads**: Diamond rings, garters, fountain pens, and novels by Blasco Ibáñez (known for realist fiction)—all marketed as Christmas gifts. **Context**: This appears to be from the WWI era when American soldiers were abroad. The Christmas framing and soldier imagery suggest marketing gift-giving to those with loved ones in military service.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘CHRISTMAS LIFE: One of America’s leading diamond importe and save 20 to 10 per cent. on retail or jewelers’ pri “a RITE TODA FOR THIS t@ VALUABLE HOW TO BUY DIAMONDS Jason Weiler & Sons 371 Washington Street, Boston, Mas, Diamond Importers since 1876 Foreign Agencies: Paris, London and Amsterdam | SS Does he regret the boulevards, The merry jests of circumstance, And wish that he were back upon The Champs-Elysées’ fair exp: Katharine Park 1 = Ree . EDS Wate r : an S ' An Unusual Garter Makes \ I de al ] Unusual Gift Brings. immediate pleasure and | evears of appreciation to all~~ , | GARTER ‘ Wide for Comfort '” LEWaterman Co. 191 Broadway Nevdorke Chicago. Boston, SanFrancisco. Montresl =e —= — = == — i ~ 40c and 60c | The E.Z.2Grip 50c and 7S¢ BLASCO IBANEZ’ Les Champs-Elysées ; - WONDER if Elysian Fields to vivid, powerful novels still dominate the ] Are really very lovely spots, THE THOS. P. TAYLOR CO. fiction field. Read . 7 . Dept. L Brtigepert, Connect Or if, to those who wander there, M are N ostru m Celestial, sweet forget-me-nots Bring tears of swift remembrance an even greater work than ‘ The Four Horse- Of pleasant earthly garden plots! men of the Apocalypse.” Send fora circular of his novels. Each $1.90 And does the poilu, new and stra E. P. DUTTON & CO., New York And banished from his blessed France, Find Paradise a little dull And pity its inhabitants? YOU'can accomplish. Pieave 41 The Landon School 1470 SCHOVIELD BLDG, comicbooks.coiit