Life — September 4, 1931 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "If Trade Marks Grew Old" This satirical comic imagines what would happen if famous commercial brands and logos aged like people. The progression shows iconic symbols deteriorating over time—a well-dressed gentleman trademark becoming increasingly decrepit, worn, and feeble in successive panels. The accompanying text discusses archaeological research into ancient "faking" practices, citing examples like Egyptian art forgery and beer production. The satire appears to comment on how established brands and commercial marks, once symbols of quality and pride, eventually become obsolete or lose their prestige as newer competitors emerge or consumer tastes change. The joke is that even the most successful trademarks are vulnerable to age and irrelevance—they cannot escape the human condition of decline.