Life, 1924-11-06 · page 3 of 40
Life — November 6, 1924 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily an **advertisement**, not satirical commentary. It promotes Ben Wade brand pipes through Hargraff & Sons distributors. The ad uses an illustration of men in formal attire gathered around a fireplace or social setting, likely depicting the aspirational lifestyle associated with pipe smoking—a gentleman's leisure activity. The text emphasizes that Ben Wade pipes have a "light (natural) finish" and require no varnish coating, positioning them as superior products that taste of pure tobacco rather than pipe materials. The advertisement appeals to male consumers by suggesting pipe smoking represents sophistication and social refinement, common marketing messaging for tobacco products in the early-to-mid twentieth century. The page contains no political satire or caricature—it is straightforward commercial messaging typical of Life magazine's advertising sections.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
is the big difference ... the light (natural) finish means that you smoke your tobacco in a pipe ... you don’t smoke the pipe itself Wie you light up a Ben Wade Pipe you are not smoking a pipe... you are smoking tobacco and nothing but to- bacco. You taste its full flavor, get all of its fragrance and aroma. Take a look at the inside bowl of a Ben Wade Pipe. Notice its light color, That’s evidence of the Ben Wade special process. Lets you forget that there ever was such a thing as “breaking in’’a pipe. It’s old and sweet and mellow and “broken in” from the first day on. The pores of the wood are opened and kept open. There is no varnish to burn out, or metallic coating inside the bowl, so often found surprisingly, even in pipes in the Ben Wade price class. It must take an asbestos tongue and a cast iron palate to break in an ordinary pipe, yet even a delicate type of throat isn’t bothered by a Ben Wade. Try a Ben Wade ... andall of your old ideas of the hardships preceding pleasure in pipe smoking will go up in smoke. If your dealer can’t supply you just drop us a line and we'll send complete catalog. DISTRIBUTORS FOR AMERICA Churchill Downs Cigarettes « Hudson's Bay Tobacco « Ben Wade Pit comicbooks.com