Life, 1923-11-15 · page 29 of 40
Life — November 15, 1923 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire** — it's a straightforward **product advertisement** for Kodak camera attachments, appearing in *Life* magazine (page 27). The page demonstrates the practical benefits of the "Kodak Portrait Attachment," a lens accessory priced at 75 cents. Two photographs illustrate the difference: the left image shows a distant subject (15 feet away) taken with a standard 1A Pocket Kodak; the right shows the same subject photographed at close range (3¾ feet) using the Portrait Attachment, achieving better detail and focus. The text explains that this inexpensive add-on lens allows amateur photographers to capture close-up portraits and small objects without special training. A variant "Diffusion Portrait Attachment" ($1.25–$1.50) provided softer image lines for flattering portraits. This represents the democratization of photography in the early 20th century — making quality close-up photography accessible to ordinary consumers rather than professional photographers alone.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
a WITHOUT KODAK PORTRAIT ATTACHMENT WITH KODAK PORTRAIT ATTACHMENT Made with 1A Pocket Kodak, Series II, Kodak Anas- Still the same camera and the same subject, but here tigmat lens f. 7.7 without Kodak Portrait Attachment. the Kodak Portrait Attachment was used, and the Subject 15 feet away, picture made at only 334 feet. Close-ups with your Kodak Slip a Kodak Portrait Attachment over the regular lens and without interfering with the camera’s operation in any way, your Kodak is brought into sharp focus at close range. You are then ready for informal portraits like the one above; ready, as well, for arm’s-length close-ups of flowers, and other objects otherwise too small to receive full photographic recognition, Kodak Portrait Attachment, 75 Cents Kodak Diffusion PortraitAttachment is of a sharp image close-up, the lines are just an extra lens similar to the Kodak _ pleasingly soft. Price, Kodak Diffusion Portrait Attachment, except that instead Portrait Attachment, $1.25 and $1.50. Ask your dealer or write us for a free copy of “At Home with the Kodak’’. It describes Kodak portraiture in detail. Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y. ric Kodakcity comicbooks.com