Life, 1912-10-03 · page 8 of 56
Life — October 3, 1912 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **product advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. It promotes the Baker Motor-Vehicle Company's electric automobiles, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. The illustration shows a well-dressed couple in an early electric car, with a uniformed chauffeur or attendant standing beside it. The ad emphasizes that Baker electrics are "the car of silence—the noiseless of all electrics," contrasting them favorably with noisy gasoline-powered vehicles of the era. The text argues that silence indicates mechanical efficiency and lower operating costs. It targets affluent consumers, particularly women, suggesting electrics are the superior choice if "all electrics sold were bought on structural superiority, 95% of them would be Bakers." This reflects the early 1900s competition between electric and gasoline vehicles before gas engines became dominant.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HE BAKER is the car of silence —the most noiseless of all clec- trics. This is a significant characteristic, because noise means friction, friction means waste power, expense, trouble, short life. Baker silence is tangible evidence of the cor- e you are not versed in mechanics or rectness of Baker enginceri this superb electri hat is the greatest of all reasons why E I and lee: r you buy should be a Baker. If all elee- i at fourteen years’ experience sold were bought on structural superiority, has proved to be RIGHT. 9526 of them would be Bakers. THE BAKER MOTOR-VEHICLE COMPANY, CLEVELAND, OHIO Builders also of Baker Electric Trucks