Life, 1910-04-14 · page 31 of 44
Life — April 14, 1910 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily an **advertisement for electric automobiles and Exide batteries**, not satire. The page promotes electric cars as ideal for urban driving, emphasizing their reliability, safety, and ease of operation—notably that "a woman or even a child" could operate one. The small cartoon at the bottom, captioned "From the Raw Material to the Finished Article," appears to show manufacturing processes in a playful sequential format. **Historical context for modern readers:** This ad reflects a genuine moment (circa 1910) when electric vehicles were considered serious competitors to gasoline cars. Electrics were indeed cleaner and easier to operate than temperamental gas engines requiring hand-cranking. The era would soon shift toward gasoline dominance, making this advertisement a curiosity of automotive history rather than satire. The patronizing reference to women drivers reflects period attitudes but was genuinely marketed as a selling point for electrics' user-friendliness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Perfect Motor Car for City or Suburbs An Electric—It combines reliability, great ease of operation, safety, comfort, cleanliness and perfect con- trol. Its simplicity of operation enables a woman or even a child to run it. THE PERFECT POWER FOR THE CAR Electricity—Free from all danger, instantly avail- able, reliable, economical, and your Central Station man will arrange to supply it. THE PERFECT CONSERVATOR OF THE POWER ” - : The “Exide Battery—Stores in a small space an ample supply of power—built for reliable service, under the most exacting manufacturing supervision, by the oldest and largest storage battery maker. The ex- perience back of the “2 xide’’ and the dependable service it assures users explains why 90 per cent. of all Electric Vehicles manufactured are equipped with the “sxide’’ and why these leading Electric Vehicle Manufacturers use it. Baker Motor Vehicle Co, General Vehicle Company, 8. R. Bailey € Co., Inc.. Ide Broc Electric Vehicle Co . Ohio Columbus Buggy Co., OF. 0. Champion Wagon Co., Rauch & Lang Carria Couple Gear Freigbt Wheel Co. Studebaker Aut Columbia Motor Car Co.. The Waverley Com Elkhart Car'ge & HamessMfg.Co, Woods Motor Vebi THE ELECTRIC STORAGE BATTERY CO. ss PHILADELPHIA, PA. 1910 New York, Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland, Atlanta, San Francisco, Toronto. 5 Exide Depots—715 Distributers—Inspection Service Corps. comicbooks.com