Life, 1926-08-26 · page 36 of 41
Life — August 26, 1926 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **Palmolive shaving cream advertisement** disguised as editorial content in *Life* magazine, a satirical publication from the 1920s era. **The "cartoon"**: The illustration shows two well-dressed men in what appears to be a morning shaving routine—one man presenting a product to another. This isn't satirical commentary; it's straightforward advertising using the aspirational imagery common to the period. **The appeal**: The ad emphasizes masculinity and grooming as markers of respectability, claiming the cream corrects "5 mistakes of old type shaving soaps." It lists technical benefits (softens beard in one minute, maintains lather for ten minutes) that would appeal to men seeking efficiency and quality. **Context**: The adjacent book reviews suggest *Life*'s educated readership. The juxtaposition—serious literary criticism alongside consumer advertising—reflects how 1920s magazines blended editorial and commercial content far more seamlessly than modern publications typically do. **No political satire is present here**—this is period commercial messaging targeting middle-class male consumers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Among the New Books Show Boat. By Edna Ferber (Doy. bleday, Page). The story of Magnolig Hawkes, against the interesting and co}. orful background of one departed phas: of our river life. : Mannequin. By Fannie Hur. . 2 st (Knopf). A strong brief for heredity, unaccustomedly interspersed with sighs, tears, and considerable suspense. The Exquisite Perdita. By E. Bar. rington (Dodd, Mcad). The luckless story of a lovely lady who had the mis. fortune to put her trust in a Prince. W Sheridan, Fox, Mrs. Crewe, and delight. ful Eighteenth Century trappings. The Story of Philosophy. By Wil Durant (Simon & Schuster). The lives and opinions of the world’s leading form. ers of thought set forth in spell-binding style. Sounding Brass. By Ethel Mannin (Duffield). A_ satirical novel written by a young Englishwoman at the expense of the advertising profession. The Romance of Comets. Proctor (Harper). About the y mament on high, with emphasis on the spectre of the skies. Hot Saturday. By Harvey Fergusson (Knopf). What happened to a rich and gullible young man from the East inside of twenty-four hours. The Mind of the Negro as Reflected in Letters Written During the Crisis 1800-1860. By Carter Godwin Woodson (The Association for the Study of aro fue and History). Well, we can't Please accept a full 10-day tube of this olive-oil-containing be ‘Charlestoning all the time, you know shaving cream that corrects 5 mistakes of old type shaving soaps J rere eye any ay cas tee read this for yourself to find out whether the detestable Mr. Hubbard was killed by a death-ray machine, his parrot or the village idiot. beard absorbs 15% of water. And that makes a hard beard wax-like, soft. * 3. Dries on face. The lather of Palmolive Shaving Cream maintains its creamy fullness for ten minutes on the face. 4. Hairs liedown. ‘That is due to weak bub- bles. Strong bubbles are essential to support the hairs for cutting. Palmolive bubbles are strong... they hold the hairs erect far the razor. | 5. Skin irritation, The palm and olive oil content of Palmolive Shaving Cream leaves the face in fine condition. Men like the | after-effects. GeNTLEMEN:—Here’s a shaving cream made by experts in skin care that softens the tough- est beard in one minute, that leaves the skin as soft and fine as if a lotion had been used. It ends the use of lotions, as unnecessary. Men by the thousands are quitting old- time shaving soaps for it. One of its chief ingredients is a fine olive oil. 80% of its users were won from rival preparations, Con- sider what that means. May we send you a tube to try? We worked some 18 months perfecting it. “Made up and discarded 130 different formulas before we found the right one. It excels in many ways any shaving soap you have ever tried. Imagination. By Benjamin Christo- pher Leeming (\. H. 5 ( tation on the mind's don of which most of us o easily with a little more. The Garbage Man. By John Dos Passos (Harper). A new venture in the dramatic form by a young and audacious experimenter. Let us prove this We ask your permission to prove these things—to send you a tube to try. We are masters of soap making. One of our soaps— Palmolive—is one of the leading toilet soaps of the world. We have worked hard to excel in a Shaving Cream. Will you do us the kindness to mail this coupon?—for your sake and for ours. A Prince of Malaya. By Sir Hugh Clifford (Harper). The story of a young man who was sent to England re edu- cated and got tangled up in racial probd- lems through romance. Five mistakes corrected 1, Lather too scanty. Palmolive Shaving Cream multiplie: If in lather 230 times. A tiny bit, just one-half gram, suflices for a shave. 2, Slow action. Palmolive Shaving Cream acts in one minute. Within that time the THE PALMOLIVE COMPANY (Del. Corp.), CHICAGO, ILL. — | Animula Vagula. By Leonard Bacoo (Harper). More minor verse. From Nine to Nine. By Leo Perutt (Viking Press). A mystery story te 3343 volving around a Viennese student To add the final touch to shaving luxury, we have created Palmolive After Shaving Talc—especially for men. Doesn't show. Leaves the skin smooth and fresh, and gives that well-groomed look. Try the sample we are sending free with the tube of Shaving Cream. There are new delights here for every man who shaves. Please let us prove them to you, Clip coupon now. = | Please print your name and address clearly 10 SHAVES FREE | Simply insert your name and address a mail to Dept, W-1221, The. Palmoli Company (Del. Corp.), 3702 Iron Street, Chicago, Il Residents of Wisconsin should address The Palmolive Company (Wis. Corp.), Milwaukee, Wis. Suicide, and Other One-Act Com- edies. By Conrad Seiler (Crowell). First aid to the Little Theatre movement. The Unearthly. By Robert Hichens (Cosmopolitan). Another tale about the wasters of Mayfair. The Understanding Heart. By Peter B. Kyne (Cosmopolitan). More opet space stuff, You're on the Air. By Graham McNamee (Harper). Behind the scents with a radio announcer. B. L, comicbooks.com