Life, 1914-12-03 · page 67 of 92
Life — December 3, 1914 — page 67: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a political cartoon**, but a full-page advertisement for Westinghouse Electric appliances, appearing in *Life* magazine (page 1035). The central image shows a domestic scene with a woman using electrical appliances, framed as "Xmas Cheer Every Day in the Year." The surrounding illustrations display various electric household devices: percolators, toasters, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, sewing machines, and labor savers. **The pitch**: Electricity and electric appliances are presented as "servants" that liberate women from household drudgery. The ad argues these are practical Christmas gifts that deliver year-round benefit by automating cooking, cleaning, and laundry—tasks previously requiring manual labor. **Cultural context**: This reflects early-20th-century marketing that sold electrification and modern appliances as progressive, labor-saving solutions for women. The ad assumes a middle-class audience with access to electricity and disposable income for gift-giving. This is straightforward product advertising rather than satire or political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Electric Percolator, 2 to $ Delcios cotice a 16 minsten, Xmas Cheer Every Day in the Year Fiecraicry, is the servant that is always at command, and never shirks, It takes pay only for what it does. Many of your friends use it for lighting but some may have missed the many other phases of household helpfulness which come from the employ- ment of the various articles of Westinghouse Electric Ware At this holiday time you have an opportunity of making gifts to your friends that wil open their ees to new Inbor savers and wll del them every day in yeat. Progrenive womea consider electrical houschold appliances absolute necessiies in every home, Electric vacuum cleaners have made jing an easy and healthful task. Electric washing machines have done away with one of the worst forms of household drudgery. best makes of these appliances are driven by Westing- house motors, Electric cooking devices are in ration at the turn of a switch and will per- jecip care Ses all lores ob cooking. . Per {All Westinghouse Electric Ware is designed especially for usefulness, drab su Seeaes oat cl nee ben eae es Slee Notice the special displays of Westinghouse Electric Ware in the showrooms of Elecnic Light Companies and Elecasc Shops, In onde to help you choose, wend for catalog 4294. Dept. FV. Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Co. East Pittsburgh, Pa. Electric Percolater, 3 to 7 exp size, Look them over at any electrical show- room. $8.00. AY UL aa comicbooks.com