Life Magazine – December 2, 1920 (# 1987) – Christmas – Maxfield Parrish

Description

Cover : Extremely charming line of three stylized servants carrying covered tureens, Merry Christmas, art by the beloved Maxfield Parrish.

– CHRISTMAS NUMBER (much fatter than the typical issue).

– Full page color ads for Pep-o-mint Life savers, Victrola Victor Talking machine (art by Norman Price), Pall Mall cigarettes (unusual ad with lots of blank space and Christmas gift card attached to box), Mary Garden Perfume (art shows many products), Michelin universal cord tires (Christmas cheer for the motorist), Mercer Motors company (nice night time winter driving art, art by HLG, glyph), Empire Silk Company (great art of men playing cards by a fireplace, art by Harry Morse Meyers), Whitman’s chocolates (with an almost dancing Santa, art by Norman Price), McCallum silk hosiery (not signed, partly sepia tone, young delivery boy delivering a package that is falling apart at the doorstep showing purple stockings), Prudential insurance (richly colored art of Roman warriors in ship looking at rock of Gibraltar, art by Sweeney), Columbia Grafonola (art by Emil Schnellock), Washington’s coffee (signed with a glyph K), Egyptian Deities cigarettes, Shuyler’s chocolates (neat Christmas art with elves), Piso’s cough syrup, Pierce-Arrow (Two gentlemen in club at window, car outside), Nunnally’s candies, Curtice Brothers blue label foods (art by William T. Van Dresser), Christerfield cigarettes (Every man in class knew the answer), Lyon & Healy apartment grand piano (bright yellow page), Camel cigarettes, Sheaffer’s pen and pencil set (great art by C. Coles Phillips), Eastman Kodak (great photo of woman on skis and man with camera).

– Full page black and white ads for Community Plate flatware (Adam design, lovely ad), Waltham watches and clocks (nice artwork is of Westminster Abbey, signed by Lincoln and F. L. Kios?), Rubberset shaving brushes (with odd art of santa and a dog, what did you get for Christmas in 1909?), Manning Bowman quality ware (thermoses and such, Hotakold), White Rock Ginger Ale, Sarsaparilla and Root Beer, Greeting Card Association (A Christmas morning movie for men only), 1847 Rogers Brothers Silverware (Queen Anne pattern), Stutz Motor Car company, Irish Linen Society (art by Nell Ham?), Hansen Gloves, Chase Drednaut motor topping, Hotel Pennsylvania, Munson Steamship Line (to the fair lands below the equator).

– Full page art or cartoon art by Charles Dana Gibson (Happy Christmas), unsigned (stork brings Santa one more tiny stocking), Oliver Herford (Tille red riding-hood, Lifeoscope), Ernest Hamlin Baker (A League of Nations with no reservations, kids with Santa), C. F. Peters (Is this a rendezvous or merely a coincidence?, crowd of men entering room full of women), Rodney Thomson (A Christmas romance), Charles Forbell (In ye goode olde days : ye merrie, merrie Yuletyde), Rea Irvin (Christmas cards we’d like to send), F. G. Cooper (Merry Christmas, Adam!), Angus MacDonall (Father thinks he can persuade the family to have a small tree this year), Robert L. Dickey (Under the mistletoe, two puppies), Rea Irvin (The Cook’s Christmas, sleeping in), Popini (Don’t forget to order the mistletoe … ordering mistletoe for this house is like carrying coals to Newcastle), Charles Dana Gibson (NO, suitor rejected), Gluyas Williams (Twas the night before Christmas), Charles Forbell (Willie’s idea of enough plum pudding).

– A Christmas glimpse by Booth Tarkington, with art by Harold Sichel.

– Two page centerspread art by Oliver Herford (I believe, signature is VERY faint), The dance of the snowflakes.

– Some current events include : Christmas in politics, “One man’s freedom cannot rest on another man’s slavery, One man’s wealth cannot rest on another man’s poverty, On man’s happiness cannot rest on another man’s woe … and it is the same with nations as with men.”

– And much more 1920   2Neat antique Life magazine content – cool!