Life — December 19, 1930 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Life's Dog Calendar (1931) This is primarily an **advertisement page**, not political satire. It promotes LIFE magazine's 1931 dog calendar featuring portrait illustrations. The central image shows a **Boston Terrier** (or similar breed) titled "The Portrait of a Gentleman"—a humorous anthropomorphization common in 1930s advertising. The dog wears a collar and is rendered in dignified portrait style, the joke being that it's presented with human social pretension. The page advertises that readers can order calendars featuring "your favorites of the year's dog pictures from LIFE." The calendars cost $1.95 each and could be sent to friends. Two order coupons appear at bottom. The "gentleman" reference plays on the dog's formal presentation, making it an appealing novelty gift item for 1931 readers who enjoyed anthropomorphized animal humor.