Life — March 13, 1931 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Page Analysis This page is **primarily a Colgate shaving cream advertisement** disguised as editorial content, a common advertising practice in 1931 Life magazine. The main cartoon (lower left) shows a drowning figure crying "Help—I can't swim!" while another responds "V' got nothin' on me, I can't neither." This appears to be a generic humorous cartoon unrelated to the advertisement. The featured advertisement uses comparative diagrams to illustrate how Colgate's "small-bubble" lather supposedly differs from ordinary lather, claiming it softens whiskers and enables closer shaves. The ad includes a coupon offering free samples. The smiling man's photograph at top right likely represents a satisfied customer testimonial, typical of advertising conventions of the era.