Life, 1910-07-21 · page 39 of 40
Life — July 21, 1910 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily **advertising**, not satire or political commentary. The page promotes the Detroit Electric automobile, featuring a photograph of the 1910 vehicle with a woman standing beside it. The advertisement leverages **Thomas A. Edison's endorsement** and his improved storage battery to market the car. Edison's portrait and signature appear, lending his prestige to the product. The text emphasizes that Edison has "perfected" the A-6 battery specifically for this vehicle, making it superior to competitors—claiming any electric car without this battery is "hopelessly out of date." The appeal targets **comfort and reliability** for what appears to be a vehicle marketed toward women, given the elegantly dressed woman pictured. The technical details (nickel-steel construction, anti-acid electrolyte, greater capacity) are presented to justify the premium positioning. This reflects the **early automotive era** when electric cars competed seriously with gasoline vehicles, and celebrity endorsements—particularly Edison's, as the era's most famous inventor—carried substantial marketing weight.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Boston, Montreal INGW FOE 4 SPECS EPICRe , Leicester, Berlin, Paris ‘actories: 3 Fy = ¢ Fo 2 é a . 3 Hy Fl Ff 2 = Canadian Office, 63St. Our literature points out, and you can find for yourself, fifty distinct advantages in the Detroit Electric—all vital to your comfort, and all contributing to make the Detroit Electric a better value. Thomas A. Edison has emphasized and crowned these advantages by perfecting his storage battery. a» Edisone “The Detroit Electric is the only 1910 car of correct construc- vand sufficient voltage to use the large size A-6 Edison ill of its nine models. he superiority of this A-6 battery is so pronounced that any car not equipped to receive it can no longer be ranked in the first class of electric car construction. If you buy a car not so equipped, it will be hopelessly out of date in another season. u should have the book about the Detroit Electric. nderson Carriage Company, You should have the book about the Edison battery. This battery is made of nickel and steel. By following the simple instructions, it will outlive your car, as there is nothing in it to wear out or deteriorate. The electrolyte is an anti-acid solution of potash and water, instead of the destructive mixture of sulphuric acid; this insures the battery against leakage, breakage or corrosion. It has greater capacity—225 ampere-hours as against 112 to 169 in the lead type. It may lie idle indefinitely without recharging; high rate or overcharging will not hurt the battery. Per unit of capacity, the Edison weighs 50% less than the lead batteries, which means less burden on the motor—less consumption of current—less wear on tires—greater mileage and efficiency. Write for the Detroit Electric and the Edison books. Dept. LM, Detroit, Michigan THE WILLIAMS PRINTING COMPANY comicbooks.com