Life, 1911-01-26 · page 8 of 44
Life — January 26, 1911 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **advertising content, not satire**. The page promotes Baker Electrics, a manufacturer of electric vehicles based in Cleveland, Ohio. The illustration depicts well-dressed figures (appearing to be wealthy Washington society members and government officials) near an early electric automobile. The advertisement claims over 130 Baker vehicles are used by Washington society and preferred by "high officials of the Government and by foreigners of rank." The pitch emphasizes the vehicle's silent operation, structural elegance, and engineering quality—positioning it as the American electric car meeting European standards. This reflects the early 1900s when electric vehicles competed with gasoline cars before internal combustion engines dominated the market. The "shaft driven" tagline references the vehicle's mechanical system.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Baker Electrics at the National Capital ‘VER one hundred and thirty of them used by Washington society. They are - preferred by high officials of the Government and by foreigners of rank. The shaft driven Baker is recognized abroad as the one American make which meets the engineering standards of Europe. Its silent operation, structural beauty and extra- ordinary mileage, are unequaled in electrics. Lead or Edison batteries. Special Electric Pneumatic or Motz High Efficiency Cushion Tires. Write for illustrated catalogue. THE BAKER MOTOR-VEHICLE CO., 33 West 80th St, CLEVELAND, OHIO 200 comicbooks.com