Life, 1920-12-16 · page 35 of 45
Life — December 16, 1920 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **print advertisement**, not a political cartoon. It's a 1920s-era ad for Warren's Standard Printing Papers, disguised as social commentary. The "joke" targets the universal frustration of commercial printers: customers constantly asking "When will my job be finished?" The text references James McNeill Whistler (the famous artist) who allegedly told an impatient patron "perhaps never"—implying printers face impossible demands for both artistic quality and speed. The advertisement's actual pitch: printers need not just better paper (Warren's products) but also customer patience and "moral support." The ad argues that treating printers as artists rather than mere "business men" will result in better work. The photograph shows a printer's desk with papers and tools, illustrating the cluttered reality of print production. This reflects early 20th-century anxieties about industrial labor, quality control, and the tension between art and commerce in printing trades.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The ‘Burden of Every ‘Printers Mail is When? OST of the letters he gets, most of his telegrams, all cry, “When—when—when will my job be finished?” Most of his too-frequent telephone calls are to find out when he will finish a piece of work. Most questions that begin with “when” are grossly unsympathetic. Whistler, in reply to the “when?” of an im- patient sitter, suavely answered, “perhaps never” —an answer, of course, which no printer can make. For,no matter how much art is expected of a printer, his customers refuse to treat him as anything buta business man—and a very resource- ful and wonder-working business man at that. In addition to Better Paper, the printer re- quires something else before he can produce Better Printing. And that is the element of moral sup- port from his customers. Bri¢fly classified, Warren's Standard To aid materially in the prompt production of Printing Papers are more beautiful work, S. D, Warren Company Warren's Warrentown Warren's Cameo id Coated Book L soated for artistic offers to printers and buyers of printing a dozen y surface for fine halt. tone printing standard grades of printing papers. But in addi- Warren's Cumberland sem \ull oted for | better tion S. D. Warren Company bespeaks for your d standard glossy oie ‘ paper : : ted paper printer, and for all printers, a higher degree of yarren's Printone sympathetic support, a little less insistence on Semi-coated ter shan better | “when,” and a little more patience with him when : Artogravure 6 ycreen hal {f printing) . . * . > d especially for he encounters difficulties in his efforts to give of nting Warren's Cumberiand you work that will make money for you. Machine Book finish paper Warren's Olde Style rren’s India A marked antique f S.D. WARREN COMPANY, Boston, Mass. For thin editions His 5 Printing Papers comicbooks.com