Bidspirit auction | LIFE Magazine Old 1940s Cast

LIFE Magazine Old 1940s Cast Iron Newspaper Newsstand Paperweight Sign Store Display Advertising - Unique double-sided cast iron life magazine newsstand paperweight fabricated during the 1940s by the Mortimer spiller company. Life was born on January 4, 1883, in a new york city artist's studio at 1155 broadway as a partnership between John Ames Mitchell and Andrew Miller. Mitchell, a 37-year-old illustrator who used a $10,000 inheritance to invest in the weekly magazine, served as its publisher. mitchell created the first life nameplate with cupids as mascots; he later drew its masthead of a knight leveling his lance at the posterior of a fleeing devil. mitchell took advantage of a revolutionary new printing process using zinc-coated plates, which improved the reproduction of his illustrations and artwork. this edge helped because life faced stiff competition from the bestselling humor magazines judge and puck, which were already established and successful. Edward Sandford Martin was brought on as Life's first literary editor. The motto of the first issue of life was, while there's life, there's hope. the new magazine set forth its principles and policies to its readers: we wish to have some fun in this paper... we shall try to domesticate as much as possible of the casual cheerfulness that is drifting about in an unfriendly world... we shall have something to say about religion, about politics, fashion, society, literature, the stage, the stock exchange, and the police station, and we will speak out what is in our mind as fairly, as truthfully, and as decently as we know how. the deeply embossed letter paperweight retains the original red with white enameled lettering. the first weights used to hold down newspapers or periodicals may have been horseshoes, which were readily available during the early part of the 20th century when the automobile began replacing the horse. paperweights fabricated specifically for newsstands likely appeared shortly thereafter, and by the 1950s, were considered a fixture on city newsstands. Measures 6 3/4 x 2 3/4 inches. Condition: Minor paint loss as noted on images Shipping within the U.S. if required: $8.45 to be paid by the buyer.