Life, 1912-09-26 · page 46 of 48
Life — September 26, 1912 — page 46: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Westinghouse advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. The page promotes electric vehicles equipped with Westinghouse motors to early 20th-century consumers—primarily women, based on the shopping focus. The circular illustration shows a well-dressed woman in an electric car outside a storefront, depicting the vehicle's practical convenience for shopping trips and suburban outings. The ad's pitch emphasizes reliability ("always ready"), ease of use (no engine maintenance required), and efficiency for both personal and commercial delivery use. The historical context: this represents the brief era (roughly 1900-1920) when electric vehicles competed seriously with gasoline cars, particularly appealing to affluent women who preferred their quietness and simplicity over the cranking and noise of gas engines. By the 1920s, mass-produced affordable gasoline cars had won this competition. This is a genuine period advertisement reflecting real market conditions, not satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
a ee oe ee oe ee oe oe oe a ee oe ee oe ee ee ee ee Shopping with Your Electric | At Your Call on a Moment’s Notice and Dependable Every Minute is the Electric Vehicle. Equipped with the Westinghouse Motor OUR electric. is always ready. It can be waiting at your door all day for that moment when you decide to make a shop- ping trip—or a call—or take an airing in the suburbs. So you won't have to think of your motor after you buy your car, it is well to specify Westinghouse Motor equip- ment when you order it. This equip- ment has all the newest approved features of electric vehicle motor con- struction. The use of it gives the longest possible life to your batteries, and the motor applies power with the utmost efficiency. Those electric delivery wagons and trucks equipped with Westinghouse Motors are making a record among merchants and manufacturers for their reliability and efficiency wherever used. We will be glad to give you any special information about electric vehicles for any purpose upon request. The names of all electrics equipped with West- inghouse Motors may be had for a post card. Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company Dept. M V, East Pittsburgh, Penna. <5 " < “ . x < A < < x < x x = = “ “ “ " " “ x A x a “ x I fee ote ote ote a oe eee aie oe en a oe i oe ee ee ee oP a oes a ae oP a Oe ee Age OS ee ee ee eee ne ee ae ae oe ae ee eae a oe oe oe oe oe comicbookeny com