Life, 1907-06-20 · page 32 of 32
Life — June 20, 1907 — page 32: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Kodak advertisement**, not political satire. The page shows a romantic illustration of an early 1900s automobile scene: two women in period dress encounter a broken-down car on a rural road. The ad's message is straightforward product promotion: Kodak cameras are so simple that anyone—even a "merest novice"—can use them to capture life's moments. The automobile breakdown scene serves as the narrative hook: this is exactly the kind of memorable incident you'd want to photograph. The phrase "Press the button—do the rest" was Kodak's actual famous slogan, emphasizing ease of use. The price range ($5-$100 for Kodaks, $1-$9 for Brownies) indicates these were consumer products for middle-class buyers. There is no satirical content or political reference here—it's straightforward early advertising capitalizing on the novelty of personal photography and automobiles as markers of modern leisure.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
June 20, 1907 The Kodak Story Of summer days grows in charm as the months go by—it’s always interesting—it’s personal—it tells of the places, the people and the incidents from your point of view—just as you saw them. And it’s an easy story to record, for the Kodak works at the bidding of the merest novice. There is no dark-room for any part of Kodak work; it’s allsimple. Press the button—do the rest—or leave it to another—just as you please. The Kodak catalogue tells the details. Free at the dealers or by mail. Kodaks, $5 to $100 EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY Brownies, $1 to $9 Rochester, N. Y., The Kodak City \ comicbooks.com