Life, 1910-09-08 · page 29 of 40
Life — September 8, 1910 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **product advertisement**, not a political cartoon. The page promotes the Sturtevant Electric Ventilating Set for telephone booths. The "satire" is gentle and self-aware: the ad opens by humorously shaming potential customers. It asks readers to notice the "deadness of air," "unpleasant odor," and disease germs in telephone booths—and to consider the unfortunate people "shut up in the same tight box during the last twenty-four hours." This tongue-in-cheek appeal to hygiene anxiety and empathy sets up the product pitch. The accompanying image shows the ventilation device (left circle) and a row of telephone booths (right). The ad then positions the Sturtevant set as "the first practicable device" solving this public health problem, emphasizing circulation without draft or sound leakage. The humor lies in the exaggerated problem statement designed to motivate purchase—a common early 20th-century advertising technique mixing comedy with health consciousness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SHOULD BE VENTILATED The next time you use a telephone booth note the deadness of the air, the inpleasant odor and the conditions favoring disease germs. Also consider he persons that have been shut up in the same tight box during the last twenty- our hours. urlevant Electric Ready-to-Run VENTILATING SET (Patented) B the first practicable device for keeping the air in booths fresh and pure. One of them installed as hown in the picture will completely renew the air in one or more booths every few minutes. It does this urely and steadily, but with no perceptible draft and with no disturbance of any kind whatever to the users f the telephone. Our patented device permits free circulation of air, but prevents the escape of sound into the room or to adjoining booths. Compleis equipment delivered anywhere in U. S., ready for installing, one booth, $50. Where booths are together, two *oths, $80; three booths, $100; four booths, $125. Larger systems on request. The Sturtevant set is a perfect ventilating system for any moderate-sized room. It will cool and ventilate (cither by blowing in outside air or Aving out dead air) offices, kitchens, smoking-rooms, lodge rooms, lavatories, laboratories, bank-vaults, boat-cabins, living-rooms, Used in the bed- 1c benefits of out-door slecping. B, $45; C, $55; delivered anywhere in United States. For facts about ventilation, write for illustrated booklet L 92. FP. STURTEVANT CO., ssc" HYDE PARK, MASS. Sets can be seen at: go Church St ¥. City; 135 N. 3rd St.. Philadelphia; 329 W. 3rd St., Cincinnati; 300 Fullerton Bldx Louis; 30 S. Clinton St.. Chic Washington Loan & Trust Bidg., Washington. D, 4 Oliver St., Boston; 529 Metropolitan Bldg., Minneapolis; 423 Schofield Bidg.. Cleveland; Hennen Bldg., New Orleans; 310 Connecticut I Bldg., H:rtford. Trade Terms to Electrical Contractors, Telepho'.» Companies, Hardware Dealers and Power Companies. +5 comicbooks.com