Life, 1916-02-17 · page 51 of 52
Life — February 17, 1916 — page 51: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Baker R&L Company automobile advertisement**, not political satire. It depicts a wealthy couple arriving at an elegant venue in a chauffeur-driven electric car during winter (note the snow). The "joke" or appeal is social rather than satirical: arriving "in style" matters as much as arriving safely. The ad emphasizes that Baker and Rauch & Lang electric vehicles offer not just transportation but **class and sophistication**—important to "those who know and want the best." The advertisement highlights that electric cars were luxury items associated with elegance and comfort. The text stresses engineering quality, safety, and silent operation—features that distinguished premium electrics from noisier gasoline vehicles of the era. This reflects early 1900s automotive culture when cars were status symbols, and electric vehicles (powered by batteries) represented cutting-edge, quieter luxury before gasoline engines became dominant.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Arriving in Arriving at one’s destination surely and safely may be accomplished (Ro with any automobile; but to arrive in style, as well as in utmost com- rex Seauil : fort. is particularly appreciated by those who know and want the best. a Saetsh Nea ¢ factor of style which has pa Not forgetting that Baker and Rauch & Lang Electri larly marked Baker or Rauch & Lang production in also embody superb engineering features that offer unusual every era of fashionable coach building. advantages of service, safety and silence. THE BAKER R & L COMPANY, Cleveland, Ohio comicbooks.com