Life — January 22, 1920 — page 35: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a **cigarette advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes "Egyptian Deities" brand cigarettes at 30 cents, available in plain end or cork tip varieties. The ad features an Art Deco-styled illustration of an elegant woman in Egyptian-inspired costume and headdress, posed among ornamental candelabras with flowing ribbons. The visual design appeals to 1920s-era glamour and exoticism. The tagline claims "People of culture and refinement invariably PREFER Deities to any other cigarette"—a common advertising strategy that associated the product with sophistication and social status. The Egyptian theme likely capitalized on contemporary fascination with ancient Egypt (intensified by King Tutankhamun's tomb discovery in 1922). This reflects early 20th-century marketing norms that openly promoted cigarettes without health warnings.