Life, 1926-08-26 · page 40 of 41
Life — August 26, 1926 — page 40: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Listerine advertisement**, not political satire. The page uses the then-fashionable "bobbed hair" hairstyle (short hair popular in the 1920s) as its hook: the ad claims this modern style reveals dandruff problems previously hidden by longer hair. The image shows a woman with bobbed hair examining her scalp with a mirror—suggesting newly visible dandruff. The advertisement positions Listerine as the solution, claiming it combats the "germ disease" through antiseptic treatment. The accompanying scientific illustration of "Bottle Bacilli" (dandruff-causing microorganisms) lends medical authority to the pitch. The ad emphasizes that dandruff, if untreated, causes hair loss and baldness—appealing to women's grooming concerns. This reflects early 20th-century marketing: using social trends (bobbed hair) and pseudoscientific claims ("germ disease") to sell a multipurpose product (Listerine was marketed for various ailments).
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life DANDRUFFP Bottle Bacilli, the cause of Dandruff ‘Illustration reproduced from Hazen's “Diseases of the Skin,” C. V. Mosby, Publisher. disease difficult to y to check. Unless checked and properly treated it has a persistent tendency to reappear, and often in more virulent form, with possible loss of hair or even total baldness. The treatment to check 4: druff requires constant cleanliness and the use of a suitable antiseptic solution to com! to heal the scalp, it the disease Bobbed hair reveals it HE current vogue of wearing the hair bobbed has revealed to many women that they have dandruff. In the past, folks thought of dandruff only as something that spoiled the appearance of a man's blue serge suit. But we all have reason to be concerned about dandruff, for it is a germ disease which, unless properly treated, often brings with it the loss of hair or possible baldness. The ideal treatment to combat dandruff conditions is the systematic use of Listerine, the safe antiseptic. We have received hundreds of unsolicited letters from Listerine users, who are most enthusiastic in their claims for what Listerine will do in this way. If you are troubled with dandruff you owe it to yourself to try it. The use of Listerine for dandruff is not complicated. You simply douse it on your scalp, full strength, and massage thoroughly. The effect is antiseptic, cleansing and healing. And you will be amazed to see how this treat- ment, followed systematically, combats dandruff, Moreover, Listerine will not discolor the hair nor will it stain fabrics. Try Listerine some evening when your scalp feels tired and itchy. Dandruff is probatly causing the trouble. Apply it generously and then massage vigorously. You will find it a stimulating tonic for the scalp, and in addition to combating dandruff, you will find that it adds that luster and softness to the hair that is so important a part of being well-groomed. —Lambert Pharmacal Co., St, Louis, U.S. A. LISTERINE —and dandruff simply do. not get along together comicbooks.com