Life, 1920-04-15 · page 44 of 44
Life — April 15, 1920 — page 44: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward advertisement for Columbia Grafonola phonographs, appearing in *Life* magazine on April 15, 1929. The ad promotes a "William and Mary" period-design model, referencing the English monarchs (1688-1702) and their introduction of Dutch craftmanship that brought "artistic simplicity" to English furniture. The manufacturer links this historical pedigree to the gramophone's elegant design. The image shows the wooden cabinet-style phonograph in period styling, alongside a photograph of what appears to be classical musicians performing. The ad emphasizes both aesthetic appeal ("display with pride") and sound quality ("exquisitely clear and brilliant tone"), while listing exclusive Columbia recording artists to suggest prestige. This represents 1920s marketing strategy: combining furniture design aspiration with entertainment technology—selling not just a machine, but refined taste and access to classical music.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
April 15, 1929 a Columbie Grafonola in “Period. designs From the Days of William and Mary The sturdy beauty cf this William and Mary design dates back to the days when the last of the Stuart kings lost England's throne in the Battle of the Boyne. For William and Mary brought with them from Holland band of skilled Dutch craftsmen who introduced a new note of artistic simplicity into English furniture design. The simple lines of this William and Mary Grafonola blend harmoniously with any scheme of decoration. It gives you not only an article of furni- ture which you may display with pride, but also a musical instrument of exquisitely clear and brilliant tone. Starts and stcps automatically. Columbia Grafonolas: Standard Models up to $300; Period Designs up to $2100 COLUMBIA GRAPHOPHONE Co. New York Canadian Factory: Toronto A Few Exclusive Columbia Artists Baklanoff Macbeth Barrientos Mardones Garden Ponselle Hackett Romaine Lazaro Rothier Columbia Grafonola in Stracciart William and Mary Period Design comicbooks.com