Life, 1920-05-06 · page 45 of 56
Life — May 6, 1920 — page 45: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily an **advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. It's a full-page ad for W. & J. Sloane, a New York furniture and interior design company, appearing in *Life* magazine (page 857). The ad promotes Sloane's summer furniture offerings for seasonal homes. The accompanying illustration shows an elegant interior space with arched windows, patterned flooring, and period furniture—meant to exemplify the sophisticated aesthetic Sloane promises. The ad's appeal relies on associating the Sloane brand name with guaranteed quality and reliability ("a Promise of Quality which...will be religiously fulfilled"), regardless of budget level. This was typical luxury brand marketing of the era—emphasizing trustworthiness and taste rather than specific product details. There is no cartoon, caricature, or satirical commentary visible. This represents straightforward early-20th-century advertising in a magazine known for humor and social commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
FILLING SUMMER PREMISES and Promises—at Sloane’s! ERHAPS the phrase Porch Furniture and Rugs sounds limited, but really it is meant to embrace all manner of furniture and floor coverings for the lighter needs of Summer homes, whether one wishes to fill merely a nook, or to furnish a Summer retreat of pretensions. We shall not itemize the Sloane selections of Summer furniture and floor coverings, for they embrace literally everything, and so item is both impractical and unnecessary. What is of paramount importance is that the Sloane name is a Promise of Quality which, however limited or liberal your needs, will be religiously fulfilled. Furniture Makers Floor Coverings and Fabrics Interior Decorators We. J. SLOANE FIFTH AVE &47:h ST. NEW YORK CITY comicbooks.com