Life, 1914-04-30 · page 29 of 44
Life — April 30, 1914 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **vintage automobile advertisement**, not a political cartoon. It promotes the Ohio Electric Car Company's Model 40 brougham—an early electric vehicle. The ad's pitch targets **women drivers**, emphasizing ease of operation through "magnetic control and magnetic brake" systems requiring only simple forward/backward disc turning—compared to a doorknob's simplicity. This reflects early 1900s assumptions that women needed reassurance about automotive complexity. The headline "CONFIDENCE!" and opening phrase about "the most nervous person" reveal gender stereotypes of the era: women were presumed mechanically incompetent and anxious. The ad positions the Ohio Electric as so user-friendly that even inexperienced female drivers could operate it safely with minimal instruction. Notably, electric cars competed with gasoline vehicles before internal combustion engines dominated. The ad emphasizes the Ohio Electric's beauty, safety features (double brakes), and superior engineering as selling points to affluent customers—particularly women who could afford such vehicles.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
CONFIDENCE! The simple Ohio Electric magnetic f control and magnetic brake make . Ps OHIO ELECTRIC the most nervous person feel ab- : Model 40—S-passenger brougham solutely safe. Magnetic control—magnetic brake T IS an everyday occurrence for women who streets. Double contracting external foot-brakes for have never operated an electric to step into an emergency use, are also a part of Ohio equipment. Ohio and drive right away with but a word of | The double drive—now so widely imitated—is an- instruction, other feature originated by us. The magnetic control and magnetic brake make We have been told that the present Ohio models this possible. Turn the control disc forward, and are the most beautiful electric pleasure vehicles ever you go forward; backward, and you go back. "The produced. But we should be pleased to have your magnetic brake operates merely on pressure of a judgment on this point, as well as on the mechanical button, It is effective even on the most slippery superiority of the car, Literature on request. The Ohio Electric Car Company, 1505 W. Bancroft St., Toledo, Ohio Gibson Electrics, Ltd, Ontario Distributors Toronto, Canada Ohio Electric Magnetic Control— Simple as Turning a Door-knob a OHIO THE ENVIED ELECTRIC