Life, 1909-09-23 · page 28 of 28
Life — September 23, 1909 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **advertisement**, not satire. It appears in *Life* magazine from September 23, 1908. The ad markets electric automobiles to wealthy women ("society woman"), depicting elegantly dressed ladies entering a Baker vehicle. The tagline promises the car meets "every need of the society woman"—positioning it as safe, simple, and clean. The implicit message reflects early-20th-century gender assumptions: electric cars (quiet, requiring no hand-cranking like gas engines) were marketed to women as easier and more appropriate than gasoline vehicles. The ad emphasizes ease of operation ("learn to run...in twenty minutes") and cleanliness—coded appeals to female consumers. This reveals how manufacturers gendered technology: electrics were positioned as the "ladies' choice," while gas-powered cars were implicitly masculine. The ad exploits class and gender stereotypes to sell vehicles to affluent households.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE ELECTRIC THAT MEETS EVERY NEED OF THE SOCIETY WOMAN OU can learn to run The Baker in twenty minutes. It far exceeds all other electrics in simplicity safety, as well as mileage and speed. It is noiseless and clean— having a battery capacity of 7o to 100 miles. It is unequalled for city and suburban use. Write for our handsome booklet. It clearly explains the many advantages of Baker Electrics, and gives full information regarding the elegant 1910 Model Coupes, Broughams, Victorias, Landaulets, Runabouts, Roadsters, etc. THE BAKER MOTOR VEHICLE COMPANY, 33 W. 80TH STREET, CLEVELAND, OHIO. Salesrooms in the Principal Cities. comicbooks.com