Life, 1923-07-05 · page 29 of 40
Life — July 5, 1923 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward advertisement for the Crane Company, a manufacturer of plumbing fixtures and industrial piping. The page features: 1. **Top illustration**: A stylized bathroom showroom displaying Crane sanitation fixtures (sink, bathtub, toilet), emphasizing quality and modern design 2. **Main text**: Corporate messaging emphasizing Crane's 67-year history (since 1855), reliability across industries, and expansion into residential markets 3. **Bottom illustration**: Technical product images of industrial valves The ad's pitch targets both industrial and domestic markets, suggesting Crane products serve "great town and country houses, huge apartment buildings and luxurious hotels." This positions plumbing quality as a status marker—associating Crane fixtures with prestige and luxury rather than mere utility. There is **no satire or political commentary** visible. This is standard early-20th-century corporate advertising using aspirational lifestyle imagery common in *Life* magazine's advertisement sections.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The world-wide use of Crane products under varying conditions for upwards of sixty-seven years, is an indication of the universal acceptance and approval of Crane standards of design and quality. Since 1855, Crane engineers and de- signers have labored to promote the progress of the various industries and arts which Crane products serve. The Crane name on valves, fittings and ALITY IN ALL HIDDEN ITTINGS piping specialties used in industrial installations, has become the mark of uniform and dependable quality. This prestige extends to Crane sanita- tion and heating fixtures for the home. Meeting the needs of smaller dwell- ings, Crane equipment also satisfies the exacting requirements of great town and country houses, huge apartment build- ings and luxurious hotels and clubs. CRANE GENERAL OFFICES: CRANE BUILDING, 836 S. MICHIGAN AVE., CHICAGO Branches and Sales Offices in One Hundred and Thirty-five Cities National Exhibit Rooms: Chicago, New York, Atlantic City Werks: Chicago, Bridgeport, Birmingham, Chattanooga and Trenton CRANE, LIMITED, MONTREAL. CRANE-BENNETT, L1»., LONDON CRANE EXPORT CORPORATION: NEW YORK, SAN FRANCISCO C# CRANE, PARIS. Globe Valve No,i-B Radiator Valve No, 220- comicbooks.com