Life, 1927-11-10 · page 2 of 44
Life — November 10, 1927 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **primarily an advertisement**, not a political cartoon. It's a Sheaffer's Pens advertisement from the early 20th century promoting their "Lifetime" pen line. The page showcases luxury desk accessories—marble inkwells, pen stands, and crystal desk sets—displaying ornate black pens with the distinctive "little white dot" mark that authenticated genuine Lifetime pens. The ad emphasizes exclusivity and craftsmanship, comparing ownership to possessing fine violins or masterpieces. The elaborate decorative border is typical of Life magazine's aesthetic style. The headline plays on gift-giving anxiety: if your gift has Sheaffer's white dot, you've given something genuinely valuable and beautiful. This appeals to affluent readers concerned with displaying social status through refined writing instruments—a significant luxury purchase in that era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
If your finest gift has the little white dat it’s a Benuine Lifetime And you may be just as proud of its beauty and worth as a fine violinist of his Stradi- varius. Masterpieces! We pioneered the desk-set, as we did the Radite pen (jade is Sheaffer color), and our outstanding, success with it has made it one of the eagerly cherished art-creations of the day. If you want the original Lifetime’, be sure the pens have the little white dots, At better dealers everywhere SHEARTERS PENS+ PENCILS: SKR comicbooks.com