Life, 1916-04-20 · page 52 of 52
Life — April 20, 1916 — page 52: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **full-page advertisement** for Baker Electric automobiles, not political satire. The image depicts an early automobile surrounded by a pastoral, idealized scene with women and children enjoying leisure activities—picnicking, relaxing in comfortable dress. The ad's message targets **affluent consumers**, particularly women (who were increasingly marketed to as car purchasers in the 1910s). It emphasizes the electric car's appeal through pleasure and social utility rather than speed or power: ease of control, roomy interiors, and access to "out-o'-way places" for social calls. The whimsical, decorative illustration style—with flowering vines and cherubic figures—suggests luxury and refined domesticity, positioning the Rauch & Lang or Baker Electric as a status symbol for genteel leisure rather than practical transportation. This reflects early automotive marketing that emphasized comfort and society over mechanical capability.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Apsil 20, 1916 Pleasure and your Rauch & Lang or Baker Electric is a car of Pleasure. You find pleasure in the utility by which you so easily reach the out-o'-way places or make a social call— leasure in the ease of control—in the roomy interior, in the genuine coach work, and in the knowledge that your car is a Rauch & Lang or Baker Electric. THE BAKER R & L COMPANY Cleveland, Ohio Baker comicbooks.com