Life, 1924-06-12 · page 44 of 44
Life — June 12, 1924 — page 44: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **product advertisement**, not political satire. However, it contains social commentary disguised as marketing copy. The bearded gentleman in the portrait represents the outdated fashion of heavy beards. The ad's text mocks this style—referencing how men once had to part their whiskers to see, and how beards were used to conceal or hide things ("make covenants under cover"). The satire targets **changing masculinity norms**: the ad celebrates the modern, clean-shaven man as more honest and transparent ("open spaces openly arrived at"), contrasting him with the secretive, hidden nature of the bearded past. The phrase "forget their dread of the razor" suggests previous resistance to shaving. The product pitch emphasizes comfort and ease, positioning Colgate's cream as enabling this cultural shift toward clean-shaven modernity. The technical diagram explains the product's mechanics—softening beard hair at the base for easier removal. The tagline "Truth in advertising implies honesty in manufacture" reinforces the broader message: modernity, visibility, and honesty go together.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Shave every day Large Size COLGATE & CO, Dept. 24 199 Fulton St, New York be comfortable It may be conceded that many a brave heart has beaten behind a bicaudate beard, but who will say that a moss- covered Adam's apple is either a thing of beauty or necessarily a joy forever? When men of high attainments had to part their whi s in order to be able to see out from behind them it was customary to make covenants under cover. Now, such bewildering entanglements are about as welcome as rain at a June picnic, while open spaces openly arrived at lend character to countenances that formerly were kept concealed from public view. It is but fair to say, in this connection, that Colgate’s Rapid-Shave Cream has done much toward causing the men of this country to forget their dread of the razor. Colgat softens the beard at the base, and makes shaving y, NO matter how heavy the hairy growth may be. Best of all, this wonderful cream leaves the face cool, soothed, and velvety after shaving. Let us send you a trial tube containing enough cream for 12 easier shaves than you have ever had. Just fill out and mail the at- tached coupon, with 4 cents. This diagrammatic magnified ion shows how the Colgate’s Rapid-Shave Cream goes to the base of each h The oily coatingupon the hair quickly emulsified, and the hair is softened at the base, whe: it meets the edge of the razor. comicbooks.com