Life, 1911-05-04 · page 56 of 56
Life — May 4, 1911 — page 56: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **product advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. It promotes Baker Motor-Vehicle Company's electric automobiles, specifically their "shaft driven" transmission technology. The image shows a silhouetted couple in an early electric car, pointing at flying birds—depicting leisure and carefree motoring. The advertisement emphasizes Baker's innovation: their shaft drive transmission supposedly surpasses the chain drive used by competitors and represents neither outdated nor experimental technology. The text highlights practical features (battery options, tire types) to appeal to buyers. The "Pioneer" branding suggests Baker's leadership in electric vehicle design. **Context for modern readers**: This reflects the early 1900s when electric vehicles competed seriously with gasoline cars. The focus on smooth, quiet transmission reflects electric cars' marketing advantage—they were cleaner and easier to operate than loud, hand-crank gasoline vehicles. Baker was indeed a real, prominent electric automobile manufacturer of this era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Mey 4 br The Pioneer Shaft Driven Electric Eight years ago The Baker Company began the designing of shaft drive in electrics. Two years ago they perfected a shaft drive which proved so superior in use to any chain drive invented that the latter was entirely abandoned. It is today the only transmission in electrics which is neither old-fashioned nor experimental. Lead plate, Ironclad or Edison batteries, the two latter at extra cost; special electriz pneumatic or Motz cushion tires. THE BAKER MOTOR-VEHICLE COMPANY 33 West 80th Street, Cleveland, Ohio comicbooks.com