Life, 1912-08-08 · page 27 of 40
Life — August 8, 1912 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is not a cartoon or satire—it's a **full-page advertisement** for the U.S. Light & Heating Company, published in *Life* magazine. The page promotes U-S-L's electrical manufacturing facility at Niagara Falls, which specializes in storage batteries and electrical components for early automobiles and railways. The large illustrated image shows the factory complex itself. The "announcement" targets automobile owners, manufacturers, and railroad operators, emphasizing U-S-L's fourteen years of experience, rigorous testing standards, and nationwide service network across eight major cities. Products listed include storage batteries for electric vehicles, engine starters, ignition systems, and railway lighting equipment—reflecting the era when electric automobiles competed seriously with gasoline-powered cars (roughly 1900-1920s). The text's instruction "Don't buy...until you learn about U-S-L" represents typical early advertising rhetoric promoting brand reliability and expert consultation before purchase. This is commercial content, not editorial commentary or satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Plant of U. S. Light & Heating Co., at Niagara Falls, completed eighteen months ago. Contracts have been let to double its capacity. THE UNITED STATES LIGHT AND HEATING Co. ANNOUNCEMENT To every automobile owner or manufacturer—to everyone who uses a storage battery or rides on a railroad train. Within the great U-S-L plant, pictured above, the world’s largest in the field of specialized electrical manu- facture, are centered the facilities and skill growing out of fourteen years’ pioneer experience in perfecting storage batteries of all classes and in making dynamos and electric regulating devices for the most exacting uses. Exhaustive research work, most accurate expert inspection at every stage, and absolute standardization of parts, are factors which contribute to establish the unusual character of a product bearing the U-S-L trademark. Rigid testing of both raw materials and finished product, conducted in completely equipped individual testing laboratories for each product, guarantees the efficiency and service-value of every piece of U-S-L equipment. U-S-L Specialized Electrical Products U-S-L Storage Batteries (formerly National. . U-S-L Electric Starter and Lighter 4 y For Electric Vehicles—Great in power capacity and sustained The Wheel Starter” is a special combination motor and voltage dependability. generator installed in place of the usual engine fly-wheel. U-S-L Sparkers and Auto Lighters—Leaders in. maintaining acive F jf high efficiency for ignition of gas engines, electric light for auto- U-S-L Axle Lighting Equipment (Bliss System) . etc. The pioncer in the ficld; now standard, Six thousand now U Stationary Batteries—Economical and convenient for supply electric light for the best type of railway cars from Maine clectric lighting homes remote from power circuits. to California, Strong Service Co-Operation Service to customers along lines of active co-operation is another feature in the U-S-L policy. The U-S-L Service men operate from U-S-L Stations maintained in cight of the largest cities. They co-operate toward the end of continuous maximum efficiency of U-S-L products. At all Stations a complete stock of spare parts is kept. Write for Information. Don't buy an automobile or truck, gasolene or electric, nor install a storage battery for any use until you learn about U-S-L. Correspondence is solicited. The U.S. Light & Heating Co.—General Offices: 30 Church St., New York—Factory: Niagara Falls, N.Y. Branch Offices and Service Stations: Chicago, New York, Boston, Cleveland, Buffalo, San Francisco, Detroit, St. Louis P xun | comicbooks.com