Life — May 2, 1918 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is an **advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes the "Mimeograph" duplicating system by A.B. Dick Company (Chicago and New York). The ad uses the metaphor of "Twins" to describe the complementary products: special stencil paper and mimeograph ink. The circular image shows two office workers—a woman seated at a desk examining materials and a man standing beside her—representing a professional workplace setting. The copy emphasizes how these two supplies work together to "revolutionize" document duplication, enabling quick, cheap reproduction of drawings and typed work. The ad promises efficiency gains and cost savings for businesses. This reflects early-twentieth-century office technology marketing, targeting companies seeking modern reproduction methods before photocopiers existed.