H95.61.1

The Light House
c.1924-1934
6.325 in HIGH x 3.375 in WIDE
(16.07 cm HIGH x 8.57 cm WIDE)
Gift of Joellen Lippett
H95.61.1

Light's Artistry. "The Light House". A. J. Provost Company...Oakland

This advertising blotter for the A. J. Provost Company has a full color illustration on the back. The illustration is of a stylish interior, tan wall, vertical arch, fancy scroll iron work (bird motif), electric sconce on the wall, with a slender, young, caucasian woman, wrapped in a "Spanish" style shawl standing in the arch. She is on what appears to be a single marble step, the rest of the floor is gray and black (or black and white) checked. The sconce casts a shadow of her on the wall. The sub-title of the illustration is "Light's Artistry". The title is "The Light House", "A. J. Provost Company, 825 Broadway, Oakland, Calif. Lakeside 7430. Gas & Electric Supplies" "CS-470". The title "The Light House" can be taken many ways: the lighted arch may be serving as a beacon to guide an admirer to the young woman (just as Light Houses guided ships); "The Light House" might also refer obliliquely to the young woman herself, in terms of the 19th century phrase "The Light of the Home"; "The Light House" (because this is advertising for a company specializing in electrical supplies) probably also refers to the fact that the home has electricity, as the sconce throws light on the scene. The full color scene is bordered in black, on a taupe field. "Light's Artistry" is lettered in white on a black background, all other lettering is in black. A white margin surrounds the taupe field. The blotter side is pink and has "1.00 R&D" written in the upper proper left corner.

Used: advertising | A. J. Provost Company | Electricity | Women's issues | Gas | Oakland

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