Life, 1925-12-03 · page 7 of 84
Life — December 3, 1925 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a political cartoon or satirical content**—it's a straightforward advertisement for Sheaffer fountain pen desk sets, occupying a full page in *Life* magazine. The ad promotes a luxury gift item: a desk set holding two Sheaffer Lifetime fountain pens with an ornate glass base and Radite (a material) sockets. The decorative baroque border frames the product photograph. The text targets "busy men, and women," emphasizing the pens' durability ("lifetime" warranty) and convenience (two pens always ready, in black and red ink). Pricing ranged from $10 to $30. The company was W.A. Sheaffer Pen Company, located in Fort Madison, Iowa. This represents typical early 20th-century lifestyle advertising aimed at professional, affluent consumers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The sign of America has long wanted and needed this fountain pen set Here is a brand new kind of gift for busy men, and women also—another Sheaffer achievement. It is a rich and beautiful desk set, holdin}, two fountain pens, so that they are always ready for instant use. The pens, of course, are the famous Sheaffer Lifetimes, made of the jewel-like Radite and made to give hard service for a lifetime. The base is of finest plate glass and the sockets are of lustrous and imperish-. able Radite, holding, the pens in vacuums, so that they cannot dry out. Both black and red ink always at hand. This splendid gift, made also in single size shown above, now at better stores everywhere. Prices, including long pens, from $10 to $30 SHEAFFER'S PENS*>PENCILS:SKR 'W A SHEAFFER PEN COMPANY FORT MADISON IOWA comicbooks.com