Life, 1912-04-18 · page 45 of 54
Life — April 18, 1912 — page 45: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not satire or a cartoon**, but a straightforward advertisement from Life magazine's advertising pages. It promotes the Hupp-Yeats electric automobile, positioning it as a status symbol for wealthy women. The ad's pitch is notably gendered: it argues that modern women of "social standing" need electric cars not for practicality, but because they look better in them. The text dismisses older, high-bodied carriages as unfashionable relics—comparing a woman in one to "a Dresden shepherdess in a Noah's Ark"—and praises the Hupp-Yeats's low-hung, "chic" design as flattering and fashionable. Prices range from $1,750 to $5,000 (substantial sums in this era), emphasizing exclusivity. The ad demonstrates early 20th-century marketing targeting affluent women, framing automobiles as fashion accessories rather than mere transportation—a notable shift in how cars were being sold to consumers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HUPP-YEATS ELECTRIC COACH I HE electric pleasure vehicle, from a mere luxury, has become a practical necessity to the woman of social standing. And so far as possible it should be selected with a view to enhancing her appearance, as the frame enhances the picture or the setting the gem. Few women can look their best in the awkward, stilted high-bodied type of coach. It belongs distinctly to the days of postilions, outriders and crino- linc. And the trim, chic, dainty modern woman looks as out of place in it as a Dresden shepherdess in a Noah’s Ark. That is why the low-hung construction of the Hupp-Yeats met with such instant favor; why it is today preeminently the car of fashion. It was the first departure from the coach-building traditions of the middle ages; it is a twentieth-century town car designed for twentieth-century needs. And its success is best demonstrated by the widespread attempts to copy it. There are six models, priced from $1750 to $5000. Regular equipment includes Hycap Exide battery and Goodyear long-distance no-rim- cut tires; Motz Cushion tires at additional cost. Write or call at our nearest branch for demonstration to suit your convenience. Descriptive folder sent on request. R-C-H CORPORATION, 11° LYSASTE STREET ATLANTA, 548 Peachtree St. CLEVELAND, 2122 Euclid Ave. LOS ANGELES, 1242 So. Flower St. BRANCHES: | BOSTON, 563 St. DENVER, 1520 Broadw: MINNEAPOLIS, 1206 Hennepin Ave. BUFFALO, 1225 Main St. DETROIT, Woodward & - NEW YORK, 1989 Broadway CHICAGO, 2021 Michigan Ave. KANSAS CITY, 3501 Main St. PHILADELPHIA, 330 No. Broad St. S S comicbooks.com