Life, 1925-07-09 · page 42 of 42
Life — July 9, 1925 — page 42: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is not a cartoon or satire—it's a **full-page advertisement** for Crane plumbing fixtures, appearing in *Life* magazine. The image shows a luxurious bathroom showcasing Crane products: a "Tarnia" bathtub in cream-white enamel, a "Nova" lavatory in vitreous china, and mosaic tile flooring. The accompanying text emphasizes that modern bathroom design can achieve "dignity and comfort" comparable to living rooms or libraries—a notable selling point for the era, when bathrooms were becoming central to home design. The ad targets middle and upper-class homeowners, emphasizing that Crane fixtures are "sold by responsible contractors everywhere in a wide range of styles, sizes and prices," suggesting products for "modest homes" through "luxurious houses." This represents early 20th-century American consumer advertising's focus on domesticity, comfort, and modernization as marks of social aspiration.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
See) oe aN THE OPEN. CRANE QUALITY In ALL wipe FITTINGS — Dignity and comfort can now be blend- inlaid borders of the same tiles as the ed as easily and as effectively in the floor. The Nova lavatory of cream-white modern bathroom as in any skillfully vitreous china, twice-fired, is supplied, arranged living room or library. like the Jarnia bath, in three conven- In the simple Crane bathroom shown ent sizes to fit various spaces. above, the walls are of paneled plaster Crane plumbing and heating fixtures are in a soft ivory tint. The floor is laidin sold by responsible contractors every- mosaic tiles of warm tan and blue. The where in a wide range of styles, sizes Tarnia bath of cream-white enamel on and prices. Write for our free booklet, iron is set in waterproof plaster, with ‘The New Art of Fine Bathrooms.” CRANE Address all inguiries to Crane Co.y Chicago GENERAL OFFICES: CRANE BUILDING, 836 S, MICHIGAN AVENUE, CHICAGO Branches and Sales Offices in One Hundred and Forty-eight Cities National Exhibit Rooms: Chicage, New York, atlantic Cty, San Francie and Montreal Works: Chicago, Bridgeport, Birmingham, Chattanooga, Trenton and Montreal CRANE EXPORT CORPORATION: NEW YORK, SAN FRANCISCO, SHANGHAL CRANE LIMITED: CRANE BUILDING, 386 BEAVER HALL SQUARE, MONTREAL Fixtures priced for modest he luxurious houses, apartments comicbooks.com