Life, 1926-09-02 · page 36 of 41
Life — September 2, 1926 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines **advertising** with a **social welfare appeal**. The left side features a **Mennen Shaving Cream advertisement** using humor: a caricatured man's face dominates, with the pitch that shaving properly is essential self-care. The text emphasizes masculinity and personal grooming as moral virtue. The center contains **Life magazine's Fresh Air Fund appeal**, which addresses a real social crisis: poor children on New York's Lower East Side trapped in tenement housing during hot summers without access to nature or fresh air. The Fund provided camp stays costing $20 per child for 18 days. The language is emotionally manipulative—describing "city-sick little souls" with "hungry eyes"—designed to guilt affluent readers into donating. **The satire**: Life juxtaposes a luxury personal-care product advertisement (targeting affluent men) with pleas for desperately poor children. The contrast implicitly critiques American priorities: men spend freely on grooming while vulnerable children lack basic health and comfort. This was typical Progressive Era social criticism in Life magazine.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life It’s the only face you've got The only face, too, that you'll ever have. The question is: Do you like it well enough to treat it right—give it, every morning, the comfort of a Complete Mennen Shave. Take it from me, you'll feela whale of a lot fitter and peppier if you do. It’s one of those things which you can’t begin to appreciate until you’ve actually tried it out. Itell you what you do. Go around to the drugstore tonight. A tube of Mennen Shaving Cream will set you back only 50 cents for the big size— a size that spells true economy. Then tomorrow morning, lather up and go to it. Honest, men—it makes all the difference in the world. You'll get the big- gest, quickest lather you ever built. And the Dermutation process will take every ounce of fight out of your whiskers. Swish! Your razor goes through as clean as a fire engine through traffic. Your face is left smooth as a new dollar bill. After that, Mennen Skin Balm. It costs only half a buck for a big tube that will last you months. A little squeeze rubbed over the face and boy —it's the freshest, pleas- antest sensation you ever had. A zippy, tingling coolness — allaying all skin irrita- tion—toning up the tissues. Takes away all the shiny look. And it’s all absorbed in half a minute. For the final touch—Mennen Talcum for Men. A quarter a tin and atin goes a long way. Dusta little over your face—it doesn’t show. But it does dry out all the moisture the towel doesn’t reach. It's antisept Spreads a soft, gossamer film that protec against the elements or collar irritation. ‘You go downto breakfast feeling as if you had a personal valet working for you. And that’s that. Come on now, fellows. Get next to yourself. Your face—the only one you've got—will welcome 365 Mennen shaves a year. Why not reach out and get the best there is? . bee Hana | | (Mfeasee Salermes) MENNEN Lire’s Fresh Air Fund Pleads for the ‘‘Left Over’’ Children I* we could only think of some great, awakening words with which to stir you, so that you would help us over these last few terrible weeks of summer! Words that would show you, as never before, the plight of the little boys and girls of the Lower East Side of New York. You have heard of slums—and tenements—squalor— terror—illness—heat—panting little bodies—city-sick little souls! What is left? No words that we know of —but they themselves are left. They, the little ones who have not had a single breath of country air all this long, torrid summer. But even now, if you rally to the cause, we can give them a bit of green earth, cool air and fresh milk. Lire’s Camps for needy children will remain open for a while to take in those weary little stragglers who come to us, stumbling, at the end of the long procession of youngsters who have been your guests and ours this summer. Because the heat “broke” for a bit last week, don’t think that summer is of It didn’t “break” in those stifling rooms behind the baked walls of the slums. Out of these high, nar- row tenement windows little faces are pecring to-day — little eager, hungry eyes are looking to see if you will turn your heads, and your hearts, their way just for a moment. Will you? Don’t hide away from those young eyes. Just smile into them and—send us what you can for the Camps. Twenty Dollars ($20.) pays for one child for eighteen days at cither of the Camps. Anything less th: that goes to make up the sum nee sary for one child. No amount is too small to receive our deep and ap- preciative thanks. We need — these little “left over’ children need— every penny we can get. If your name has not appeared this year upon the lists of great-hearted donors to the Fresh Air Fund, put it on now. Join us. Help us. Let us give the little a taste of undiluted joy. L. A. F. Previously acknowledged. $13,034.38 Spencer, Suffielc milton Abert, Sue Carns, Hartsdale, Watertown Lodge Watertown, N. W.. Alexander, $ Mes, ‘A. Krause, Chicago : May H. pson, Berkcicy, Cal MgvaryAice C. Kirkwood, Colorado Mra. Hugh ‘Bablert, Pound,” Wis, Ella J. Robbins, Fostoria, O..... WHITING'S Celebrated Brushes ADAMS Superior Brushes They “break in” quicker and last longer than any other you can get. That is the reason why they are Standard Equipment with all good painters. WHITING-ADAMS BOSTON BRUSH MAKERS FOR 118 YEARS Florence. B. Corrie, Columbia, Mo.. Helen W: nnati. Martin Metal s Roberta Donaldso Miss M. Underwood Philadelphia rued 0: still quenches thirst, cools the parched throat and by its de- lightful flavor and refreshment restores the joy of life. Nothing else can give you so much en- joyment for so little. Gis Remember Wrigley’s After Every Meal comicbooks.com ae) OSS as OS Oe -”””n—n—n nn nnn... te _'* ae