Life — December 18, 1919 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Colgate's "Handy Grip" Shaving Stick Advertisement This is primarily a **product advertisement**, not political satire. The page promotes Colgate's refillable shaving stick, patented in 1917. The cartoon illustrates wartime applications: soldiers and Salvation Army workers using the product in field conditions during WWI. One sketch shows a Salvation Army doughnut maker using it; another depicts a soldier shaving near combat. A hospital sergeant testimonial praises the product's convenience for troops. The "service" angle emphasizes how the compact, practical design serves military personnel—a marketing strategy tying consumer goods to patriotic wartime support. The bottom section shows the mechanical grip mechanism and refill system. This reflects how American companies marketed products through patriotic association during the First World War.