Life, 1920-03-11 · page 34 of 40
Life — March 11, 1920 — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains primarily **advertising** rather than political satire. The main content promotes American Express Travelers Cheques, using post-World War I tourism as its hook. The left side features an ad about **Ypres, Belgium**—a city devastated by trench warfare that Belgium has deliberately left in ruins as a war memorial to British soldiers ("Tommies"). The ad uses this solemn historical reference to pitch travelers cheques as essential for European tourism. The right side advertises **Life magazine itself** as a cure for depression ("When You Have the Blues Read Life"), offering subscription discounts. The bottom illustration labeled "No Thoroughfare" appears to be a reprinted 1880s-era Harper's Bazaar image, included somewhat ironically to show how publishing has "improved" over forty years—a self-congratulatory nod to modern graphic design. The page reflects 1920s post-war optimism: Americans now traveled abroad, needed reliable currency, and read illustrated magazines for both information and mood-lifting entertainment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
When You Have the Blues Read ° Life From deepest indigo the cir. cumambient atmosphere ii] soon fade to its normal azure hue, and cheerful. ness will prevail. Send in a six months’ sub- scription, or, Obey That Impulse, and for a trial trip, avail yourself of our Special Offer Enclosed find One Dollar (Canadian $1.13, Foreign $1.26). Send Lire for three months to Open only to new subscribers; no subscriptions renewed at this rate ‘The British Tommies called it “Wipers”—this little . . . West Flanders town with its fine Cloth Hall where LIFE, 17 West 31st Street, New York in the days before the War the linen and lace trade One Year $5 Canadian $5.32 flourished. Ypres was bombarded time and again by artillery both of the Germans and Allies, and during the war its streets were deserted of all save rumbling motor-lorries' or ambulances scurrying away from the explosion of the great shells. Travel- ers to Ypres today will NOT find a city reborn. Ypres is today and always will be as it was at the close of the war. Belgium has dedicated that city as a memorial to the bravery and valor of the British Tommies. The ruins will be left untouched. All through Belgium—anywhere on the Con- | tinent orin England—there is one form of travelers’ funds that receives instant recognition at any time. The long use of American Express Travelers Cheques makes them as readily acceptable as the currency of any country. Wherever you can spend money, there you can spend American Express Travelers | Cheques. And they are convenient to carry and | insured against loss or theft. You can buy American Express Travelers Cheques at your bank or the nearest American Express Company’s Office. They are part of the service our Travel De- partment is ready to render you. Write for details as to conducted tours, itineraries, etc. Foreign $6e1 We will be pleased to send you gratis our booklet, “The American Traveler in Europe—1920.”" It Solves The Problem. No THOROUGHFARE AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY This picture, which appeared in Harper's Bazaar forty years ago, will naturally excite a reasonable amount of 65 Broadway New York City curiosity as to how much we have improved since then. comicbooks.com