Life, 1926-12-02 · page 74 of 81
Life — December 2, 1926 — page 74: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is not a cartoon or political satire, but rather a **product advertisement** for Sealdsweet brand tangerines from the Florida Citrus Exchange in Tampa. The page uses whimsical, anthropomorphic language to market the fruit, treating the tangerine as "His Excellency"—a humorous aristocratic conceit. The text employs flowery, period-appropriate prose typical of early-to-mid 20th century advertising, describing the fruit's qualities through playful metaphors (a "haughty member of an old Chinese family," its "regal coat"). The advertisement emphasizes that tangerines are Christmas gifts suitable for hospitals and convalescents, positioning them as luxury items. There is no political satire intended—this is straightforward commercial copy designed to sell Florida citrus during the holiday season.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Al1s Excellency THE TANGERINE Gs HE TANGERINE is a harbinger of Christmas. You see his gorgeous coat in the gay, colorful baskets of holiday fruit and he makes frequent journeys to the hospital to delight the convalescent. A haughty member of an old Chinese family, the Tangerine has a piquance of flavor all its own. His regal coat slips back easily, revealing the firm, red- dish, luscious fruit. Like the other members of the citrus family, the Tangerine thrives best in Florida where the scions of his family are carefully selected and packed for you under the Sealdsweet label. FLORIDA CITRUS EXCHANGE, TAMPA FLORIDA’S FINEST TANGERINES comicbooks.com