Life, 1926-04-01 · page 42 of 46
Life — April 1, 1926 — page 42: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **luxury jewelry advertisement**, not a cartoon or satire. It features Black, Starr & Frost, a high-end New York jeweler, advertising an exceptionally expensive pearl necklace priced at $475,000. The ad appeals to wealthy readers by emphasizing exclusivity: pearls require jewelers with "extensive resources" to gather matching specimens. The copy establishes prestige through historical authority ("worn since the beginning of human record") and the jeweler's longevity ("116 years"). The visual presentation—a strand of perfectly uniform rose-pink pearls displayed against black on the page—showcases the product's rarity and refinement. This is typical **1920s-era luxury advertising** targeting the affluent, emphasizing craftsmanship, quality, and social status rather than satire or humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
BLACK: STARR & FROST Pearls have been worn as necklaces since the beginning of human record. Easily the most popular ornament today, they are regarded critically by our world for their quality and perfection, Only jewelers with extensive resources can gather the necessary number of pearls to match them for color, texture, and graduation. This is a perfectly matched necklace of delicate rose-pink pearls. Price $475,000. JEWELERS FOR 116 YEARS FIFTH AVENUE CORNER 48TH STREET - NEW YORK comicbooks.com