Life — December 9, 1920 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is **not a political cartoon or satire—it is a commercial advertisement** for Florient perfume by Colgate & Co., established 1806 in New York. The ad promotes a luxury gift box containing perfume, toilet water, face powder, and soap, all scented with "Flowers of the Orient." The copy emphasizes that the product was "preferred by a jury of discriminating women" in an "impartial International Perfume Test." The image shows ornately decorated bottles and containers arranged on a decorative shelf, styled to evoke exotic orientalism—a common marketing aesthetic of the early 20th century. The ad promises price options ranging from $3.00 to $12.00. This is purely commercial content, not editorial satire.