Life, 1911-02-09 · page 6 of 44
Life — February 9, 1911 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising**, not satire or political commentary. It features a Columbia Motor Cars advertisement from The Columbia Motor Car Company in Hartford, Connecticut. The top illustration shows fashionable women in a showroom examining automobiles—a social scene emphasizing that Columbia cars appeal to discriminating, affluent customers. The text claims Columbia cars represent "the best," with 16 years of manufacturing excellence. The lower illustration depicts a "Eighty-Five" model car in operation, showing the vehicle's interior and mechanical features. The ad's core message: Columbia cars are luxury vehicles for people "satisfied only with the best," produced in limited quantities (only 1,000 annually) with meticulous craftsmanship. This was a premium-market positioning strategy typical of early automotive advertising targeting wealthy consumers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ment and character forbid their accepting less. Columbia cars have held this regard for sixteen years—from the beginning of the motor car, in fact. HOSE who are satisfied only with the best use Columbia cars. Birth, tradition, environ- Columbia cars are built in a factory big enough to build 5000 cars. Only 1000 Columbia cars are built annuaily and these with infinite care. Every refinement of detail characterizes them. They have many exclusive features. Send for complete catalogue. The Columbia Motor Car Company Park and Laurel Sts., Hartford, Conn. ; comicbooks.com