Life, 1919-12-04 · page 76 of 80
Life — December 4, 1919 — page 76: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines a luxury cigar advertisement with a satirical commentary on American speech standards, typical of 1920s Life magazine content. **The Cuesta-Rey Advertisement:** The top ad promotes expensive Spanish cigars by claiming King Alfonso XIII of Spain—despite having access to Spain's entire treasury—cannot buy finer cigars. It's aspirational advertising suggesting that owning these cigars demonstrates refined taste equal to royalty. **The Satire:** The bulk of the page mocks the National Council of Teachers of English's "Better Speech Week" initiative, which aimed to improve spoken English in schools. Life ridicules this earnest campaign by suggesting absurd slogans ("Poor speech is a habit; cut it out") and questioning whether lecturing poor speakers actually changes behavior. The magazine's skepticism suggests the campaign is well-intentioned but ultimately ineffective—a common target of Life's satirical humor about progressive educational movements. The page also includes period advertisements for indigestion relief, fingerprinting courses, and shaving cream, filling space in the magazine's typical mixed-content format.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“CHRISTMAS LIFE: “REY ) {With the wealth of the | Spanish treasury at his ( disposal, King Alfonso can buy no better cigars than ; CUESTA-REY:: -: eegpr F Had you the gold of a eos Reva cy 2F.* ( Croesus you could make a smoking friend no, finer gift - Sur ck ok Bae Cuesta,Rey & Co. TAMPA HAVANA pusveeees to his maj- esty King Alfonso XIII, and the tobacco con- \noisseurs of America’ a- ——— es a Uplifting Our Language “T* Speech Committee of the Na- tional Council of Teachers of English has invited all the schools of the country to set apart one week as “Better Speech Week.’ The purpose of this week is to make a far-reaching ‘drive’ for greater accu in spoken English. The plans for ‘Better 6 BELLANS Week? include: Hot water, BELL-ANS Speech “ Posters and slogans, such as ‘Good speech is a habit. Get the habit!” . . . ° . Always ready to help the work of education, Lire suggests additional Snappy Slogans for School Children: Poor speech is a habit; cut it out. A drive for good English; help put FOR INDIGESTION TO GET THE BEST RESULTS free sort banashesiag wo “Capewel “ it across. vse nails do. not eplt ot crimp and there “ setts © Plead beer gialorglac Nespery yt ng: byt 4 Come to school “Good English until the growth of the hoof makes reshoring ey at week; we'll help you dope out a better Net o “cheap” nail, but the world’s best at line of speech. a fair prices No one else can improve your THE CAPEWELL HORSE NAIL CO., Hartford, Conn. speech; it is up to you. — What if the other fellow does use Be a Finger Print Expert poor English, you should worry; look Police departments, factories and Industries everywhere te aloping thn sytem of Leatication, Expert rede St ooce You can tain yoursel ia gpare tine et howe Weve for deal = Free Book—Write varsv.sss ares oreeSintees cUNIVER SITY or F APPLIED SCIENCE venue, CHICAGO out for your own, Come to school and get good speech ; we're there with the goods. Isn't it as easy to use good speech as poor speech? I'll say so, Always right there when it comes “THIS 18 A BOW or THE Lovet MopLIN.”* “18 IT ANY Coo “1ST ANY Go DUGHT TO BE, IT COST ee Fay DREW v HAVE UT PUB: hasne.” OFMS, CALLED “LAYS MY TRIES MY eTLE to good English; that’s me all. over. (Try to make this true.) Scrap your slang; it doesn't get you anywhere, If “Better Speech Week" is ob- served in all the schools in the coun- try, think what the effect may be on the nation as a whole! Iagram’s Sher@peutic Shaving Géam F. F. INGRAM CO., 38 Tenth Se, Detroit, Mich. Canadian Address, Windsor, Ont. Australasian Address, Melbourne, T. W. Cotton, Lid.. At Te convince yourself of its merits write for free somal comicbooks.conmy