Life — May 27, 1920 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a business advertisement disguised as editorial content, a common practice in early 20th-century magazines. The layout features a photograph of McBride's Theatre Ticket Office storefront (showing address 1497) and a portrait of **John McBride**, identified as head of McBride's Inc., "the largest company of its kind in the world." The article presents McBride's origin story: a small ticket business that grew into a major enterprise. It promotes the **Alexander Hamilton Institute's "Modern Business Course,"** which McBride credits for his success. The piece argues that ordinary businessmen can "double his success" through proper training. This is essentially advertorial—combining promotional biography with a course advertisement targeting aspiring entrepreneurs. The "story" serves to validate both McBride's business model and the Institute's educational program.