Life, 1929-07-26 · page 27 of 36
Life — July 26, 1929 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **full-page advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes Gillette Safety Razor blades by illustrating different morning scenarios men face—"blue mornings" (sad), "hot mornings" (weather-related), "cold mornings," "fast mornings" (rushed), "pay day mornings," "work mornings," etc. The central figure is a **rooster**, symbolizing the daily morning routine and waking up. The ad's pitch: regardless of circumstances, Gillette blades deliver consistent, quality shaves because machines precision-engineer them to one ten-thousandth of an inch—superior to human craftsmanship. The bottom section features **King C. Gillette** (the razor's inventor), claiming his name and image are recognized worldwide as "universal sign-language for a perfect shave." This reflects early 20th-century advertising strategy: positioning a branded product as indispensable to daily male routine, while lionizing the founder as a visionary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
OEP NP Roe mornings Every day you have a different face to shave HERE'S the dismal morning when the hot-water faucet runs cold—and the dark brown morning after the party when your face is taut and sensitive from lack of sleep—and the hurry-up morning when you have to make the 7:45—all kinds of mornings, all kinds of shaving conditions, but only one kind of Gillette Blade—the one constant factor in your daily shave, Eight out of ten Americans count on that blade to deliver a satisfactory, comfortable shave 365 mornings in the year, and it does, regardless of conditions. Machines adjusted to one ten-thousandth of an inch hone and strop the finely tempered steel far more accu- rately and delicately than human hands could do it. mormings Tomorrow morning may be fair or rainy, wintry or mild—slip a fresh Gillette Blade in your razor and get a smooth, comfortable shave anyway. Gillette Safety work_ = Razor Co., Boston, U. S. A. « Gillette Tue only individual in history, ancient or modern, whose picture and signature are found in every city and town, in every country in the world, is King C. Gillette. This picture and signature are universal sign-language for a perfect shave. comicbooks.com