Life, 1909-05-06 · page 48 of 48
Life — May 6, 1909 — page 48: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **full-page advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. It promotes the Baker Motor Vehicle Company's electric automobiles, specifically the "Queen Victoria" model. The imagery depicts an elegantly dressed woman in early 1900s attire riding in a luxury electric carriage, establishing the target market: wealthy, refined consumers—"discriminating men and women" seeking both mechanical reliability and aesthetic sophistication. The "Queen Victoria" name evokes royalty and prestige. The pastoral background suggests leisure and grace. The advertisement emphasizes electric vehicles' advantages: safety, ease of control, speed, and mileage compared to competitors. This reflects the early automotive era (pre-1910) when electric cars were considered superior to gasoline vehicles—quieter, cleaner, and more elegant—appealing particularly to wealthy urban consumers before gasoline engines dominated the market.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Baker ‘Queen Victoria” Baker Electrics are safest to drive—easiest to control—simplest in construction, and have greater speed and mileage than any other electrics. Where quality and efficiency are desired Baker Electrics are invariably the choice of discriminating men and women who want elegant appointments combined with mechanical perfection. + A request will bring to you our complete catalogue of Baker Electric Runabouts, Coupés, Roadsters, Landaulets, Broughams, etc. THE BAKER MOTOR VEHICLE COMPANY, _ 33 W. 80TH STREET, CLEVELAND, OHIO. Agencies in all Principat Cities. comicbooks.com se