Life, 1924-09-18 · page 36 of 36
Life — September 18, 1924 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **shaving cream advertisement** rather than political satire. The narrative component is a humorous product endorsement dressed as a short story. The text describes "Captivating Clarence," a cyclist in the "Cocklebur Century Club" (appears to be a cycling club) who rode bicycles in six-day races—a real endurance sport popular in the early 20th century. The joke is that Clarence allegedly refused to shave completely, claiming his beard helped him maintain balance on his bicycle and cushioned falls. The advertisement's point: this excuse is ridiculous. If Clarence had used Colgate's Rapid-Shave Cream, which softens beard hair at the base, he would have had no reason to avoid regular shaving. The ad includes a magnified cross-section diagram showing how the lather penetrates to the hair's base for easier shaving. The page represents typical early-20th-century advertising strategy: embedding product promotion within amusing fictional narratives to make ads more memorable and entertaining to magazine readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE Shave every day—be comfortable COLGATE’ softens the beard at the base Many six-day races have settled nothing permanently since Cap- tivating Clarence learned to climb up along the curved spine of a bicycle that enabled him to look into second-story windows. As a member of the Cocklebur Century Club, he wore a uniform that made him look like a Royal Fusileer all primed and ready to fusil. The only shooting he did, however, was that which occurred when he shot over his handle-bars. He alleged that his whiskers helped him to maintain his balance, and minimized the severity of the impact when he took a header; but those were not the actual reasons why matted growths dangled from his cheeks. Shaving, in his day, was tedious and painful. By operating only upon a small part of his face he saved time and reduced nerve shock, If he could have lathered with Colgate’s Rapid-Shave Cream he would have had no reason for limited shaving, or for misgivings con- cerning his equilibrium, Colgate’s softens the beard at the base— where the razor’s work is done. It makes shaving so easy that nervous apprehension disappears, and it leaves the face cool, soothed and velvety. Let us send you a trial tube of this won- derful cream—enough for 12 better shaves than you have ever had. Just fill out and mail the attached coupon, with four cents, Dept. 23 199 Fulton Street, New York Please send me the trial tube of Colgate’s Rapid-Shave Cream for easier shaving. I enclose four cents. >) This diagrammatic magnified cross-section x 2 shows how the close, moist lather made a oer \ by Colgate’s Bape Soave Cream goes to the base of each hair. The. aly coat upon the hair is qui emulsified, anc the hair is pret eh base, where it meets the edge of the razor. AGAOSS scscccsessesssees Truth in a comicbooks.com