Life, 1929-02-15 · page 38 of 44
Life — February 15, 1929 — page 38: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The Advertisement (Left):** This is a tobacco ad presenting a domestic scene where a wife's chronic coughing from her husband's pipe smoking has driven away their social circle. "Sir Walter Raleigh" brand pipe tobacco promises to solve this problem by being "milder"—a satirical jab at how advertising exploits women's complaints to sell products. The historical reference to Sir Walter Raleigh (who popularized tobacco in England) lends false gravitas. **"The New Books" (Center):** Perry Githens discusses the rise of biography as a bestselling genre, noting that biographies—once considered textbook material—now compete with fiction. The essay reflects 1920s-30s reading trends: increased leisure reading, public appetite for historical figures, and publishers' profit-driven focus on whatever subjects currently interest readers. A cartoon dialogue about a father forbidding his son Lionel illustrates social tensions of the era. The page is primarily **advertising and light cultural commentary**, typical of *Life* magazine's mixed-content format.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘OR years she choked and coughed. That pipe! Strong as a giant. And odorous! Itkept even their friends away. Then one day Sir Walter came to town with his favorite smoking mixture. Pipe peace at last. And mild. Just get your husbands to try it, ladies. Send for a tin at our expense. 4 LIMITED OFFER (for the United States only) Tfyour favorite tobacconist does not carry Sir Walter Raleigh, send us his name and | address. In return for this courtesy, we'll he delighted to send pow without charge full-size tin of this milder pipe mixture. | Dept. 93, Brown and Williamson ‘Tobacco Corporation Louisville, Keatucky SIR WALTER RALEIGH Who discovered how good a pipe can be It’s milder The New Books Four or five years ago, a biography was so close to Perry being a text book that no Githens one this side of the eighth gtade would have anything to do with it. Now, biographies are best sellers. Along with others of the non-fic- tion class, they are actually competing with the leaders on the popularity lists. This development is but one part of the great increase in reading matter that is taking place today. Apparently, more people are interested in books, because more books are being published than ever before. And these readers are broad- ening their scope: they want fiction, and lots of it; and they want information— solid food for thought. Hence biographies. There is scarcely a man or woman of any importance in any age, who hasn’t been biographed, some of them many times. Right now, publishers and biographers are going over the past with a magnifying-glass, looking for subjects. A few days ago, a friend of mine who spends more time in the saddle than the library told me how much he en- joyed “Louis XIV.” Another, hard- headed, business-like, is all wrought up over “Peder Victorious.” Yes, reading is becoming a popular pastime. Maybe it’s the long winter eve- nings, but I think not. It’s the fun of it. ee Louis XIV (Longmans) by Louis Ber- trand is a thick and satisfying book for those who like their reading that way. Tt is not, however, the conventional collection of unconventional anecdotes which the name of that king seems to bring to mind. In fact, the distinguished author has written a passionately de- “Father, you don’t have to be so discourte- ous as not to speak to Lionel, merely be- cause you've forbidden him the house!” When you’ve just time to grab the train, grab a bag of Plant- ers Salted Peanuts. They are “The Nickel Lunch.” Big, de- licious peanuts; brown as a Pullman Porter, crisp as a new ticket. 5 cents every- where. Sold only in the glass- ine bag with MR. PEANUT on it. Buy a bag every day. Pianters Nut & Cnrocotate Company U.8, A. and Canada PLANTERS SALTED PEANUTS Mediterranean “The Luxury Ships” M.V. SATURNIA Ss M.V. VULCANIA Sail Regularly to CANNES-NAPLES- TRIESTE also PRESIDENTE WILSON From Italy the Fleet of LLOYD TRIESTINO Offers a Splendid Service to NEAR EAST FAR EAST EGYPT —a- ———— COSULICH LINE comicbooks.com