Life, 1912-11-14 · page 44 of 44
Life — November 14, 1912 — page 44: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is an **advertisement, not political satire**. The Rauch & Lang Carriage Company uses a grand classical frame (depicting a historical royal coach) to advertise their electric automobiles. The key message: since 1853, the company maintained quality standards through technological evolution—from horse-drawn carriages to early electric cars. The contrast between the ornate historical coach imagery and the modest modern electric vehicle emphasizes *continuity of craftsmanship* across 60 years. For modern context: this represents the **transition era** (early 1900s) when electric vehicles competed with gasoline cars. The ad targets wealthy, conservative consumers ("people of good taste") by assuring them that buying an electric Rauch & Lang means purchasing reliability backed by six decades of tradition—not risky new technology. The date is November 14, 1912, placing this during electric cars' final viable market period before gasoline engines dominated.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MAINTAINING A SIXTY-YEAR-OLD STANDARD In 1853 we began making coaches, carriages The way these cars run tells the story. The to-do old famil rich but quict elegance and gra auch & Lang became known for rigid stand- made the Rauch & Lang the “ ds, thus linking together with the name Prestige." People of good taste and judgment great asset and a g bligation—and will at once appre value andards once attained must be maintained. in our latest models. & Lang lectric jes when agent will gladly demonstrate, of our business People who had. broughams wanted us to make them. So we pro- duced some of the first electrics that were sold. Today we make them complete in our factory —in the same carcful, substantial way that we made coaches in the fifti THE RAUCH & LANG CARRIAGE COMPANY 2377 West Twenty-fifth Street CLEVELAND Siath City comicbookeea