Capitalizing on readers’ dissatisfaction with foundation garments that are not “beautifully slimming,” this advertisement promises a better-fitting garment suited to the customer’s particular body type. “Discover how easily the lovelier figure…
On one hand, the advertisement imbues the wearing of foundation garments with a dreamlike aspect. On the other hand, it describes the purpose of foundation garments with words like “dangerous” and “fatal.” The woman pictured in the advertisement…
This backhanded compliment to the consumer appears across the top of an advertisement for nylon tricot slips. Like many other advertisements in this issue of Ladies Home Journal, the ad notes a distinction between public and private, with the…
This SI cover page features art depicting a young black man running towards a hurdle that resembles a road blockade. The background is a close-up of the man's face, his obstacle reflected in dark black sunglasses. The title reads "The Black…
Two white cartoon men are served a “dram” of Drambuie liquor, described as “a luxurious after-dinner adventure.” They are served by what looks like an Asian waiter in an Oriental place (perhaps China). The point is that you can enjoy Drambuie in any…
The prologue to the Black Athlete cover story introduces the story, which probes whether or no sport is “one of the few areas of American society in which the Negro has found opportunity.” The introduction promises to complicate this notion, and…
"You're lovely to look at . . . lovely to be near . . . only when underarms stay dry and odorless," warns this ad for FRESH Cream Deodorant. Thus readers are informed that beauty is not just a matter of appearance; rather, they must consume…
This page opens Part 1 of Jack Olsen’s five-part series on the ‘black athlete’, and it is titled “The Cruel Deception.” Olsen begins the piece by addressing the persistent story of racial opportunity in sports, citing the oft-used phrase “look what…
Featuring an attractive model with bright blonde hair, this advertisement for Prell Shampoo promises hair that is "angel-soft, smooth as satin, glowing with that 'Radiantly Alive' look he'll love." Users of the product will also be "free of…
On this page, Olsen engages the topic of black collegiate athletes, where he begins to reveal the “cruel deception” of racial opportunity in sports. Olsen traces the path of a black person recruited to a university to play high-level sports. He…