Life, 1925-09-17 · page 2 of 36
Life — September 17, 1925 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **commercial advertisement**, not a political cartoon. It promotes Sheaffer fountain pens and pencils, specifically the "Lifetime" pen model and new "Titan" pencil. The ad claims that American businessmen initially doubted fountain pens could work reliably, but Sheaffer products changed their minds through superior performance. The ornate decorative border frames an illustration of a well-dressed man at a desk, suggesting professional achievement and respectability. The language emphasizes durability ("stoutly guaranteed") and quality materials ("jewel-like Radite"), positioning these writing instruments as status symbols befitting successful men. Prices are listed: $2.75 for pens, $1.25 for pencils. This reflects early-20th-century marketing strategies targeting middle and upper-class male professionals.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Today he writes the language of achievement with a Lifetime pen Unnumbered thousands of American business men thought that they could never use a fountain pen. Then they bought Sheaffers. By utterly revising the nation’s estimate of fountain pen satisfaction, the Lifetime has won, and continues to win, countless thousands to its daily use. Spot it by the dot! And now, in identical triumph, comes the new and strikin}, over-size Titan pencil, with its triple lead control, propel-repel-expel. Both are made of jewel-like Radite, an ornament to the person and a delight to the hand. Good for a lifetime and stoutly juaranteed, we can't make them fast enough to outpace the demand. “Liftime” pen, $8.75—pencil, $4.25—guaranteed Others lower At better stores everywhere SHEAFFER'S PENS: PENCILS* SKRIP 'W.A SHEAFFER PEN COMPANY FORT MADISON, IOWA comicbooks.com