Life, 1920-12-02 · page 15 of 97
Life — December 2, 1920 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Rubberset shaving brush advertisement** disguised as editorial content—a common early 20th-century marketing technique. The ad features a **letter from Ralph V. Hinkle**, a minister in Eaton, Colorado, dated April 22, 1920. Hinkle testifies that a Rubberset brush given to him at Christmas 1909 has outlasted superior brushes, proving its durability and value. The accompanying illustration shows **Santa Claus** holding the brush, making the implicit argument that a Rubberset brush is the perfect long-lasting Christmas gift—one the recipient will remember fondly for over a decade. The satire is subtle: the headline asks what you got for Christmas in 1909, suggesting that *this* product is so memorable it deserves to be recalled. The "note" acknowledges the advertisement's manipulative nature while defending it as genuine customer testimony.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘CHRISTMAS LIFE - 995 hat Did You Get For Christmas —iInl9OQ9" You dorit know? Well, Doctor Hinkle does,and possibly his memory is no better than yours¢ But look at the“reason he has for remembering First Congregational Church EATON, COLO. RALPH V, HINKLE, MINISTER epril 22, 1920. RUBBERSET COMPANY, Newark, N. J. Gentlemen: I have a RUBBERSET shaving brush which was given to me at Christmas time 1909. A few of its bristles have been broken off. But after nearly ten and a half years of constant daily service, it is a better brush than the one which I used previously was after six months of service. And this previous brush was, when new, just as good-looking, was just as expensive, and was supposed to be “just as good” as a Rubberset. If my brush continues to give as good service as it has in the past, I will never need a new brush. But if some burglar should find that I carelessly leave it on the bathroom shelf, and make away with it, you may be very sure that no one would ever sell me a brush without the Rubberset trademark on it. Sincerely yours, (Signed) RALPH V. HINKLE. (NOTE—The suggestion we are going to make may seem unnecessary, but the artist indicated that this space was for “re- marks.” We'll be brief: Nineteen-thirty cor thirty-five or forty is a long ways off, but if you choose the right remembrance, that good old pal of yours (“him” or ton ot father or brother) will probably tere A ep lh: Le A Le DR Af still know then what you gave him for Christmas even so longago as nineteen- Mente Cade NOT ntti mew . Z| twenty. That's the truly “*Christmasy” — at 7a sort of feeling, don’t you think ?—and so distinctively RUBBERSET! Thank you —and a merry one for yours.) RUBBERSET smsics TRADE MARK comicbooks.com