Life, 1920-03-04 · page 45 of 78
Life — March 4, 1920 — page 45: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **full-page advertisement**, not a cartoon or satirical content. It's a W. & J. Sloane furniture and home furnishings ad promoting their domestic rug selection. The ad's pitch capitalizes on **wartime scarcity** (likely WWI or WWII era, given references to "shortage of nearly all merchandise"). Sloane claims competitive advantage by boasting the "largest selections of rugs in the world" while competitors face shortages. The ad emphasizes availability of solid-color and Oriental-design rugs in various sizes, highlighting quality weaving (Wiltons and Axminsters). The message: when goods are scarce everywhere, Sloane has abundant inventory—positioning the company as reliably well-stocked. This is straightforward commercial messaging exploiting wartime supply constraints, not satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Here is no Shortage of DOMESTIC RUGS | 1 is not the Sloane policy to indulge in superlatives, but at a time like this, when the shortage of nearly all merchandise is universal, there is especial significance in the fact that the Sloane selections of rugs are the largest in the world. Obviously, the greatest source of supply is the surest source of satisfaction. Take solid color rugs, for example, with deep or narrow band borders, these are plentiful in adaptable sizes at Sloane’s! Or figured rugs, in replicas of rich Oriental designs, in sizes for every need, in color schemes to harmonize: with any decoration. The weaves are Wiltons and Axministers, but these are merely generic terms—the important thing is that the quality is Sloane’s! W. & J. SLOANE Interior Decorators Floor Coverings and Fabrics Furniture Makers FIFTH AVENUE AND FORTY-SEVENTH STREET, NEW YORK Washington, D. C. San Francisco, Cal. comicbooks.com