Notes

[alt text] A cartoon-style advertisement shows a man wearing a large gray turban sitting cross-legged on a red patterned rug while reading a document. He holds a black umbrella above his head as rain falls around him. The ad is printed in black, gray, and red, with the company name “Penick” displayed at the bottom.

[transcription] Nature is never predictable, but there are reliable ways to compensate for the inevitable variations. Natural differences in water-soluble and bulking gums need not be a problem. Penick controls uniformity of gums with a unique process called Evenizing. We deliver as consistnet a product as it is possible to achieve. What’s more, Penick gives you further assurance of unfailing high quality. We closely supervise the selection of gums where they are grown and gathered- and process them in our own mills. At no time are they beyond our direct control right up to shipment. In addition, our world-wide resources and amply stocked warehouses assure dependable, stable supply. We’ll gladly send samples of the gyms listed and quote on your requirements.

[additional notes] The visual metaphor compares using an umbrella against rain to relying on Penick for “uniform” gums despite natural variation in raw materials. The imagery is also notable because it draws on stereotypical and orientalist representations of non-Western people. The figure serves primarily as a symbolic reference to the exotic origins of many gums rather than as an actual producer or consumer. Georgia Salcau