Life, 1913-11-06 · page 7 of 56
Life — November 6, 1913 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **product advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes the Ohio Electric Car, manufactured by The Ohio Electric Car Company in Toledo. The ad emphasizes "effortless" operation through two features: a "Double Drive" system and "Magnetic Control." The photograph shows a woman operating the vehicle, highlighting ease of use—a key selling point for early electric automobiles, which required no hand-cranking like gasoline cars. The ad targets affluent buyers, particularly women, by stressing convenience. The "magnetic brake" and "chainless, direct shaft drive" are presented as exclusive Ohio features ensuring "perfect ease of operation." This reflects the early 1900s context when electric vehicles competed with gasoline cars, and manufacturers marketed them as sophisticated, user-friendly alternatives.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
EFFORTLESS! The Ohio electric introduced the double drive from both front and rear seat, and the magnetic (disc) control. We hold patents on both these features. In conjunction with the magnetic brake— also an exclusive Ohiofeature—they form an opera- ting mechanism that requires the minimum of mental and physical effort. Study the photograph. The small disc, taking the place of the old-style control lever, governs every operation of the car. Pressure of a button operates the magnetic brake. ‘The car cannot skid when this is applied. The brakes are extemal, and will not freeze up. Another exclusive feature of the Ohio is the chainless, direct shaft drive without universal joints, which means maximum efficiency per unit of power. See the cat at the nearest Ohio dealer, or write for catalog. Note: Suits have begun by us against infringements on our double-drive patents. The Ohio Electric Car Company, 1505 W. Bancroft St.. Toledo Gibson Electrics, Ltd. Ontario Distributors Toronto, Canada OHIO THE ENVIED ELECTRIC Double Drive, Magnetic Control—an Exclusive “ OHIO a Combination that Assures Perfect Ease of Operation comicbooks.com