Life, 1912-05-30 · page 43 of 44
Life — May 30, 1912 — page 43: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **full-page advertisement**, not satire or editorial content. It promotes the Westinghouse Electric Fan, a new appliance model marketed as superior to competitors. The ad emphasizes technical improvements: the fan is 30% lighter, uses less electricity, and features a durable drawn-steel frame available in multiple finishes (bronze, brass, nickel). The selling point targets early 20th-century consumers without air conditioning—it promises affordable cooling by placing the fan on a bedroom dresser to circulate air from open windows. The language reflects period marketing: "Order One by Phone and Keep Cool!" appeals to modern convenience, while phrases like "finest fan on the market" and assurances about quality ("lubricate once a season") address consumer concerns about durability and maintenance. The illustration shows an ornate pedestal fan typical of the era. This represents Westinghouse's attempt to position electric fans as both functional appliances and attractive home furnishings—a significant selling point when such devices were still relatively new household technology.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Westinghouse Electric Fan Order One by Phone and Keep Cool! AMD breeze or a strong wind at your regulation of the switch. _ Works from any electric light socket. The new model Westinghouse Electric Fan with drawn-steel frame is thirty per cent. lighter than the old style fans of the same size. The motor actually takes less current to run for the volume of air it moves than any other fan now on the market. The smooth, highly finished surface of the drawn steel leaves nothing in appearance to be desired. Black oxide, statuary bronze, mottled copper, polished brass, brushed brass, nickel, and other finishes will be furnished on order. Felt base on all desk fans will not mar the finest table surface. Patented joint makes it possible to adjust the fan to a wide range of horizontal and vertical positions without tools or extra parts. This is the finest fan on the market and is the one you are looking for. Lubricate once a season. No other attention necessary. Place it on the dresser in your bedroom and let it blow away from the open window That will keep you comfortably cool without draught. Phone for your Westinghouse Fan now to your Electric Lighting Company or to a good electrical dealer in your neighborhood. If you have difficulty in getting it, do not accept a substitute, but write us immediately and we will see that you get one without delay. The steel-clad Westinghouse Fan costs a little more than the ordinary electric fan, but it will last and do its work for many years. Write for handsome illustrated catalogue showing fans for every purpose to Westinghouse Fan Dept.V, East Pittsburgh, Pa. Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. Pittsburgh Sales Offices in 45 American Cities Representatives All Over the World comicbooks.com