Life, 1926-01-07 · page 6 of 40
Life — January 7, 1926 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **primarily an advertisement**, not satire or editorial content. It's a Reed & Barton silverware ad from *Life* magazine promoting their "Louis XVI Pattern" flatware and hollowware. The circular portrait depicts an elegant woman in 18th-century French court dress, evoking the sophistication and refinement of Louis XVI's era. The accompanying text claims the pattern captures "the spirit of revelry of a famous French court—in silverware," positioning the product as cultured and aspirational. The ad includes product images (a teaspoon and serving pieces) and emphasizes Reed & Barton's "century of experience in making fine table ware." There is no political satire here—it's marketing that uses French aristocratic aesthetics to sell middle-class American consumers on the prestige of their silverware.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
& Louis XVI Coffee Pst, Sugar and Cream The Spirit of Revelry of a Famous French Court—in Silverware! 'HE Louis XVI Pattern in Reed & Barton silver plate brings with it a suggestion, ever so subtle, of the gaiety, the laughter, the culture, the charm of the French court from which it takes its name. But beneath the captivating design, there is the same thick, durable silver plate for which the house of Reed & Barton has long been famous. You may be sure when you select Reed and Barton silver plate that it is worthy in every way of Reed & Barton's century of experience in making fine table ware. Ask your jeweler to show you the Louis XVI pattern in both hollow ware and flatware today. REED & BARTON. TAUNTON, MASS. Louis XVI Tea Spoon comicbooks.com}