Life, 1920-04-29 · page 31 of 40
Life — April 29, 1920 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satirical content**—it's a straightforward advertisement for A. A. Vantine & Co., a luxury furniture retailer. The page appears in *Life* magazine (a venue that mixed advertising with humor). The ad promotes hand-woven rattan chairs imported from Canton, China, marketed as ideal "summer furniture" for wealthy homeowners with villas and bungalows. The sales pitch emphasizes exotic craftsmanship, durability, water-resistance, and lightness. Notably, the ad stresses direct ordering through Vantine's to avoid "inferior substitutions," implying concern about counterfeit Oriental furniture flooding the market. The only potentially period-specific detail is the casual exoticization of "Oriental" goods as luxury items for the American leisure class—reflecting early 20th-century tastes. The phrase "Largest Oriental Store in the World" suggests competitive branding in what was apparently a thriving import market. No satire or political content is evident.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
STITT sat Ti eev TT TT (LIFE™ tek Height ‘of seat 17", No. 19L. Price $10.75 ' back 30”, Width Veiaht 7 No. 103L. Price $22.00 t of back 424”, Width c te at 8 Height of’ seat 17”, W 1 bs. Height of back 27”, The Largest Oriental Store in the World iy", Heght of erat Jat 7 Ie. ’, Width of seat 19’, Extreme length with footrest extended 74”, oltiatT taal ON SNE aul Tivdl Tata oa LH RU DGUUT at TTA eT THAT TT The Oriental Store., Chairs from Canton, China W 2 bunzalo your summer home is a villa or a bungalow—be it in the hills or by the sea—you could not choose furniture more fitting than Vantine’s cool, comfortable and artistic Canton furniture. Vantine Canton Furniture is woven by hand in Canton, China, and there is not a visible nail in its entire construction. It is strong, durable, and the most comfortable summer furniture made—being woven of specially selected rattan, it readily shapes itself to the contour of the occupant. Unlike any other furniture, it is not affected by » water. In fact, it is really benefitted when occa- sionally subjected to a complete drenching. Being the lightest furniture made, it may be easily moved from place to place, and may be used on the lawn as satisfactorily as on the porch, as the “Hour-Glass” designs have no legs to sink into the earth. We import but one quality of this furniture— the best—and to avoid inferior substitutions, send your order direct to Vantine’s. Vantine’s Canton Furniture is sold only in the Vantine store -we have no agents—and for the protection of our customers, each piece bears our name-plate. { Write for Booklet “Comfortable Summer Furniture” For those who cannot conveniently visit our establishment, we have published an interesting booklet —“Comfortable Summer illustrating and describ- ing this unique Oriental craftsmanship, a copy of which will be mailed postpaid promptly upon request. Address Dept. “L” Furniture” — ', Weight 26 Ibs. & to footrest 74”, A. A.VANTINE & CO., Inc. FIFTH AVENUE AND THIRTY-NINTH STREET, NEW YORK No. 1038L. Price $12.00 Haigh of back 37%, Width of peat 18”, Height’ of seat 17", Weight’S Ibe. No. SL. Price $25.00 Height of back 36”, Width of seat 19)”, Height of seat 17”, Weight 104 Ibs. No. 15L. Price $11.00 Height of back Width 17", Weight 7 No. 1112L. Price $23.50 Height of back 35°, Weight 12 Ibn. Length of seat from Width of seat 19”. Established more than half a century ANAESTH TT TTT comicbooks.com