Life, 1921-07-07 · page 2 of 34
Life — July 7, 1921 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **luxury soap advertisement**, not political satire. The page promotes "Shah of Persia" transparent soap by Crystal Soap Co., priced at $1.00 for a three-cake box—expensive for 1921. The marketing strategy exploits **Orientalist exoticism**: the ad emphasizes the product's connection to Persian luxury, "jewel-like sparkle," and "exotic perfume." The imagery includes a woman in an Oriental interior and decorative Persian court scenes at the bottom. The headline "Price Secondary" acknowledges the high cost while suggesting that quality and prestige justify the expense. The advertisement trades on early-20th-century fascination with Persian aesthetics and consumer aspirations to exotic luxury goods. This reflects contemporary marketing tactics targeting affluent American consumers through cultural romanticism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Live: Published Weekly by Life Publishing fadison Aven y. Entered as Second Cias: Copyright in Entered as Second Class N.Y Matter June 8. 1883, at the Post Omice at New York rel Le Ror B Price Secondary People who like Shah of Persia would con- tinue its use even if it cost many times more. They admire its jewel-like sparkle, its brilliant transparency, its beautiful topaz color. They enjoy its distinctive, exotic perfume, exhaling the bouquct of the mys- terious East. CRYSTAL SOAP CO., DEPT. 198, Jewets or Asia: The antique Persian rug probably represents the perfec- tion of the old world rug is a jewel of craftsmanship, a real gem of the Orient. Shah of Persia Transparent Soap is made from selected materials by an exacting process and production is limited. Neces- sarily the price is high—$r1.00 for a three- cake box. Mail us one dollar if your dealer can’t sup- ply you and we will send a box postpaid. 366 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK = comicbooks.com