Life, 1900-03-22 · page 2 of 20
Life — March 22, 1900 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This is **not a political cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward advertisement for electric launches (small motorboats) by The Electric Launch Company of Bayonne, New Jersey. The ad promotes electric boats as superior to gasoline-powered vessels for recreational boating. Key selling points include safety (no explosions or fire risk), comfort (no heat, smell, or noise), simplicity (no government inspection or licensed engineer required), reliability, and economy (2.5 cents per mile). The photograph shows a small electric launch moored near a boathouse on what appears to be the Hudson River. The ad emphasizes that even a wife could operate the vessel—reflecting early-20th-century assumptions about technology and gender. This represents the pre-gasoline era when electric vehicles were considered cutting-edge alternatives.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
eng ge. Meh od — AAS baron setts tes» are the Ideal Form of [Marine Navigation SAFE, COMFORTABLE. ECONOMICAL, Nothing to explode. Nothing to take fire Cannot sink (air chambers under decks prevent). Will not tip over (all machinery, etc., below water line). SIMPLE. RELIABLE. . . No government inspection. All machinery beneath the flooring. No licensed enginecr. Always ready. Portable charging outfits furnished. No engineer at all Always certain. Can run your own boat. Always steady. Wife can do likewise. Always under complete control. Search-lights if wanted. ‘i No heat. No odor. No smoke. No noise. No waste of power. Runs SO to 75 miles on a single charge. Costs 2} cents per mile. No dirt. No waste of room. —Sllustrated Catalogue mailed on request. Address Dept. B— THE ELECTRIC LAUNCH COMPANY, Bayonne City, N. J. Formerly Morris Heights, New York City. 2t Minutes from New York City, Via Liberty St. Ferry. COPYRIGHT FOR o UNDER THE ACT OF 1881. comicbooks.com