Life — November 7, 1912 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is **not a cartoon or satire** — it's a straightforward **advertisement** for the Gray & Davis Electric Starter, published in Life magazine around 1913. The ad promotes an automotive innovation: an electric starter motor that eliminates hand-cranking cars. The "three big features" highlighted are positive operation, remarkable power, and a 6-volt battery system. The appeal emphasizes **convenience and safety** — particularly for women drivers, who found hand-cranking difficult and dangerous. The ad stresses how the electric starter represents modern automotive progress and is becoming standard equipment on "1913 Peerless Cars." The illustration shows a contemporary automobile with the starter mechanism visible. This is **product advertising**, not political or social satire.