Life, 1910-12-29 · page 40 of 41
Life — December 29, 1910 — page 40: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **product advertisement**, not a political cartoon. The page promotes the Baker Motor Vehicle Company's electric car, specifically highlighting its shaft-drive technology and battery efficiency. The image shows silhouetted figures (a man and woman) near an electric vehicle, dressed in early 1900s attire. The "Tribute" text claims Baker uniquely achieved an efficient shaft-drive system for electric cars—something competitors attempted but failed to accomplish. It boasts a record 244½-mile range on Edison batteries. **Context for modern readers**: This reflects the era (likely 1910s) when electric vehicles competed seriously with gasoline cars. Electric cars were considered quiet, reliable, and desirable for urban use. Baker's advertisement positions them as the technological leader by claiming superior engineering and performance metrics—a marketing strategy identical to today's competing automakers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Tribute All makers of electrics would like to build a shaft-driven car. It is Maintains perfect align- People want it. noiseless. ment. Is compact. But only the Baker Company hes de- signed an efficient shaft drive for electrics. Others have experimented. The Baker has achieved. Its re- cent mileage record of 244% miles on a single charge of Edison batteries — the world’s record. rs The Baker Motor Vehicle Co. 33 W. 80th Street, Cleveland, Ohio