Life, 1929-01-11 · page 27 of 36
Life — January 11, 1929 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not satire or political commentary**—it's a commercial advertisement for Listerine mouthwash from an early 20th-century *Life* magazine. The page promotes Listerine as a germicide for preventing and treating sore throats and colds. The imagery shows people in everyday situations (railway cars, offices, crowded spaces) where illness spreads. The advertisement claims Listerine kills specific bacteria (*B. Typhosus* and *M. Aureus*) in seconds and recommends gargling at the first sign of throat irritation. A secondary section promotes using Listerine to rinse hands before eating, to eliminate cold germs picked up from contaminated surfaces—reflecting early 20th-century germ-theory awareness. The final section advertises **Listerine Shaving Cream**, suggesting the product line's expansion beyond mouthwash. This is straightforward medical advertising typical of the era, before modern FDA regulations strictly limited health claims.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
After exposure— avoid Sore T) hroat LISTERINE : , Checks it quickly because powerful against germs hroat is a danger signal roming trouble—e cold or worse. It_usually develops after sudden changes in tempera- ture or exposure to others in overheated offices, germ- ridden railway trains, street and . Wet feet also encourag The moment your throat feels irritated, gargle with Listerine full strength. § throat ually caused germs — re b; Listerine ull strength kills germs. For example, it kills even the virulent B. Typhosus ) and M. Aureus(pus) germs in 15 seconds, as shown by repeated laboratory tests. Yet may sed full ; zth in any cavity of the Indeed, the safe anti- ° . The moment Listerine en- ters the mouth it attacks the disease - producing bacteria that cause you trouble. And unless your sore throat sy e will check it in an amazingly short time. For your own protection, keep a bottle in home and To escape a cold use Listerine this way: You can mate- rlally lessen the risk of catching colds by rinsing the hands with forthis is obvious: Listerine at- tacks the germs of cold on the hands, thus ren- dering them harmless when they enter the “ss 1? mouth on food GREAT which hands have men say. They’re enth carried. Isn't this Listerine Shaving Crean quick precaution be also when you try worth taking? = t. So soot hi: iastic about will So cool! comicbooks.com