Life, 1920-03-04 · page 76 of 78
Life — March 4, 1920 — page 76: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **Camel cigarette advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. The "WHY MAN—" headline and casual tone are typical advertising copy from this era, not cartoon satire. The advertisement uses a silhouette of what appears to be **Texas** (the distinctive shape is recognizable) as a design element, with Camel cigarette packages displayed. This geographic reference likely appeals to regional pride or suggests wide availability. The copy emphasizes Camel's blend of Turkish and domestic tobacco, smoothness, lack of aftertaste, and superiority to competitors. The phrase "compare them puff-by-puff with any cigarette in the world" is a direct challenge to rival brands. **Modern context**: This predates any health warnings about smoking. The casual confidence in promoting cigarettes—especially highlighting their "mildness"—reflects early-to-mid 20th century advertising before tobacco's dangers were widely acknowledged or regulated. The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company operated without the restrictions modern smokers take for granted.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LIFE: WHY MAN— we made this cigarette for you! me CIGAREMIES Wes highest ideal of cigarette enjoyment begins the day you get acquainted with Camel Ciga- rettes. You smoke them with the utmost pleasure! Camels win you so sincerely on their quality merits. Their expert blend of choice Turkish and choice Domestic tobaccos is so new, so smooth and so fas- cinating to your cigarette desires you'll prefer it to either kind of tobacco smoked straight! And, Camels are absolutely unique in so many other ways that appeal to the most fastidious smokers. They have a remarkable mildness, but that desiruble “body” is all there! Again, Camels leave no unpleasant cigaretty aftertaste nor unpleasant cigaretty odor! Camels flavor is so refreshing and the fragrance there sleniicll sy . Seale ‘20 so unusual and likable that you are delighted that — <ureiles (0720 cents e Scpaas : F fen packages (200 so much satisfaction could be put into a cigar ‘te. Frorttctned can. ton. We strongly rec- ommend this cartonior The real way to appreciate Camels best is to the home or ofice sup- compare them puff-by-puff with any cigarette in the . world at any price! R. J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO CO., Winston-Salem, N. C. comicbooks.com