Life, 1920-04-15 · page 38 of 44
Life — April 15, 1920 — page 38: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines editorial content with advertising. The main article concerns **Rheims (Reims), France**, which was heavily damaged during World War I (the text references three years of shellfire and notes American divisions aided French General Mangin two years prior—placing this around 1920). The point: Rheims's cathedral will be left in ruins as a war memorial rather than fully restored. This serves as a segue for **American Express advertising**, which leverages post-WWI travel sentiment. The ad emphasizes that American Express Travelers Cheques are recognized globally and positions them as the practical choice for Americans visiting war-damaged Europe. The phrase "International Currency" sells both financial security and American confidence during the interwar period. The right page is book advertising from Harper & Brothers, unrelated to the war commentary. The satire is implicit: juxtaposing a solemn war memorial with a cheerful advertisement that capitalizes on American tourist interest in visiting devastated European sites.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HEIMS, standing silent and defiant, was raked by a punishing shellfire from two sides for over three years. Today the City is being slowly re- stored, but Europe’s most beautiful cathedral is to be left as it stands, as a memorial. American divisions aided General Mangin’s troops in repulsing the last great attacks on Rheims two years ago. At Rheims, in any battlefield, town or in the remote corners of the world American Express Travelers Cheques are recognized and accepted as standard travel funds for American travelers. They are the simplest, most convenient form of travel funds, an insurance against loss or theft. Thirty years of continued use have gained for them the reputation of being the—INTERNA- TIONAL CURRENCY. You can buy American Express Travelers Cheques at your bank or at Express offices. “Are you going to Europe?” We will be pleased to send you, free upon request, our 64-page booklet, ‘““The American Trav- eler in Europe—1920,” containing practical information about travel conditions as they exist in Europe today. Our Travel Department, with offices at the most important Cities here and abroad, is fully equipped to care for every detail of your trip. AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY 65 Broadway New York City (TT TL an TT ~===Mew Harper Books BALLADS OF OLD NEW YORK By Arthur Gaiterman p Thousands of people who read no other poetry enjoy Arthur Guiter man’s pleasant, easy-swinging rhymes which appear in Lite, his latest book, he gives a new and whimsically delightf the quaint, historical side of old New York. He has ¢ World singing ballad as the form in which to tell hi and writes about the old Dutch burgomasters, the F and the American Revolutionists in a fascinating ma‘ © of the book, with its illustrations, will make it of un THE GREAT DESIRE + American novels.”— Fr By Alexander Black “A great book-one of the greatest of ranklin K. Lane, for- mer Secretary of the Interior. Ifthis is not the Great American Novel, it is surely first-cousin tothat elusive, always-to-be-written book.”-—~LosAngeles Times. Post 8eo. Cloth. $1.75 SKINNER MAKES IT FASHIONABLE By Henry Irving Dodge kinner’s dress suit made the nation jaugh loud, and so did his Big Idea. But 4 never did the impulsive Skinner get a bigger idea than this, his own Skinner- esque method of downing the H.C. of L. And once more gloom flies at Skinner's 4 approach like dust before a broom. } i i il i Frontispiece. Post 800. Cloth. $1.00 HARPER & Hlastrated. Cloth. $15 POOR RELATIONS By Compton Macheazie “A book of laughter. A comedy c= plete,” writes Fleta Car “A real book. It is a co lighttul farce. Here is Dickens-like imaginaticr c dance."—The New Repoblic Post Sco. Cloth 17 THE MAN OF THE FOREST By Zene Grey 4 A book “flooded with the zolden len ness of Arizona,” says Richard LeG# Kennein the New York Ti oo bat not discovered Zane Grey Pages of this romantic nove Paradise and how a man and 4 BROTHERS Est. 1817 comicbooks.com