Life, 1903-07-23 · page 2 of 28
Life — July 23, 1903 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **not a cartoon or satire** — it is a straightforward **automobile advertisement** for Columbia brand vehicles, published in *Life* magazine. The page showcases five different Columbia models: two electric broughams, one gasoline touring car, one electric hansom, and one electric victoria-phaeton. Each includes specifications, features, and prices (ranging from $3,000 to $5,000). The central text emphasizes that Columbia automobiles offer "efficiency, durability, perfection of details, and elegance of finish," comparing electric and gasoline options. The company's headquarters was in Hartford, Connecticut, with salesrooms in New York, Boston, and Chicago. This represents early 1900s automotive marketing, when electric vehicles competed seriously with gasoline cars before eventually losing market dominance.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
COPYRIGHT FOR GREAT BRITAIN BY JAMES HENDERSON UNDER THE ACT OF 1001. Columbia Mark XXXVI Rear-Driven Electric Columbla Mark XXXV Extenslon-Front Coupe: Combines on a smaller scale the dis- Broue baci! Has every modern device for com tinctive featurés of Brougham and Hansom. ort and convenience, and all improvements to Price $3000. date Price $3500. ELECTRIC AND GASOLINE AUTOMOBILES ARE U UALLED FOR EFFICIENCY, DURABILITY, PERFECTION OF DETAILS, AND ELEGANCE OF FINISH. Columbia 24 H. P. Gasoline Touring Car, Mark XL! Maximum of reliability and usefulness; minimum of vibration and ¢. Vertical four-cylinder engine has new and important features. igniting plugs and valves may be removed and replaced in a few moments without use of a wrench or tools of any kind. Seats six persons. Luxurious appointments throughout. Price $5000. Orders for our larger styles of town carriages for private use—Extension- front and straight-front Broughams, Hansoms, Landaus, Coupes and Opera Busses—should be placed at once to secure early fall deliveries. New catalogue illustrating and describing 20 different Columbia models will be sent on request. ELECTRIC VEHICLE COMPANY HARTFORD, CONN. NEW YORK SALESROOM: 134-126-138 W. 39th ST. Opposite Metropolitan Opera House Boston, 74-76-78 Stanhope St. Columbia Mark XXXV Electric Hansom: Columbia Mark XXXIX Victoria-Phaeton : From the latest designs approved by the most critical class of vehicle users in New York City. Price $00. Constructed throughout in durable and elegant manner. New wheel steering and other im- provements. Price $3500. comicbooks.com