Life, 1910-11-17 · page 44 of 44
Life — November 17, 1910 — page 44: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **car advertisement**, not political satire. The Baker Motor-Vehicle Company advertised their electric automobiles in *Life* magazine (November 17, 1910). The image shows a stylized Baker Electric automobile at night, silhouetted against illuminated buildings, with passengers visible through windows. A swan decorates the foreground, suggesting elegance. The advertisement targets women by emphasizing the car's "silent shaft drive" and "luxurious ease"—contrasting with chain-driven competitors that were reportedly noisier and rougher. The tagline "Women Prefer the Baker Electric" reflects early-1900s marketing that positioned electric cars as refined, quiet alternatives to gasoline vehicles, appealing to affluent female consumers who found hand-cranking and mechanical complexity off-putting. This reflects a historical moment when electric vehicles competed seriously with gasoline cars before eventually losing market dominance.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
November 17, 1910 WOMEN PREFER THE BAKER ELECTRIC TS silent shaft drive and luxurious ease of riding are not to be had in any chaindriven car. And there is also a certain distinction in the lines and finish of a Baker which is recognized everywhere. See 1911 Models in the salesroom of our dealer in your city or write for illustrated catalog. THE BAKER MOTOR-VEHICLE COMPAN 33 WEST 80th STREET CLEVELAND, OHIO comicbooks.com