Life, 1919-03-06 · page 31 of 42
Life — March 6, 1919 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **full-page advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes the Addressograph, an early mechanical addressing machine designed to print names and addresses on letters and forms. The humor is subtle and comparative: the ad opens by noting that "not every office used a telephone at first," implying that just as telephones eventually became standard office equipment, so too will the Addressograph. The photograph shows a woman operating the machine while various documents (letters, forms, sheets) fan out above her—a visual metaphor for efficient mail handling. The sales pitch emphasizes that manually writing addresses by "pen or typewriter" is "the slowest and most costly way," while the Addressograph is "15 times faster" and "cannot make mistakes or omissions." For modern readers, this represents pre-digital-era office automation—essentially the 20th-century equivalent of today's mail-merge software. The $60 price tag and free trial offer were typical 1920s-30s marketing tactics to encourage business adoption of labor-saving machinery.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
_ “LIFE: | The Card Index That Addres $60 Net every office used a telephone at first! So, it’s not surprising if some offices still “copy” names by pen or typewriter—the slowest and most costly way. If you are not increasing sales by using Ad- dressograph-ed- letters and circulars — speeding collections by Addressograph-ing statements— reducing clerical cost, by means of Addresso- graph-ed pay, dividend, and shipping forms — it is because Addressograph advantages have not been revealed to you. When you understand the Addressograph as you do the telephone, your office will have both. Your Addressograph will make name-writing almost effortless! This simple machine is 15 times faster than pen or typewriter. It cannot make mistakes or omissions. Make Address plates in your office if desired. They are properly indexed in drawers as illustrated. With “selector” attachment your Addressograph prints only the names you want—the others pass thru the machine without printing and without disturbing the card index arrangement. No business is too small to profit with the Addresso- graph. None is too large. Thousands of offices are enjoying the advantages of this modern Hand, foot lever or motor models for speedily printing (THRU RIBBON) bpevcritien names, addresses, and other data on short-cut. Why not your office? fee fa Prices Encelonse Shee Orders FREE TRIAL—Oxur representative will call witha $60 te Sheets Checks Letters to ‘‘FillIn"’ Ribbon Print Hand Addressograph. He will demonstrate Forms Record Sheets Inventory Records it at_your desk and leave it for free trial, if desired, e ppers Labels Tags, Etc. JUST MAIL The COUPON. aph Chicago New York Promot » cvice furnished at these citie: Mail to nearest office—or phone for representative if list opposite names your city. cs plates in your own offi ee ee SS Newark We use forms checked below: | ADDRESSOGRAPH COMPANY ( 917M), Chicago oe ah OFilling in Letters (ORoute Sheets | Without cost or obligation, please give us: Gtlaboma City a | GRecord Sheets GShop Orders | OFacts about trial offer Demonstration in our office Ottawa, Ont ane : : Prifadetpnia onde Boas, canara ee ec = ron ividend Forms OTags, Labels Pitaberst fashington 5, i Official. si ses NO, Of NAMES OO ViStceeccsreneene wa OPay Forms OPrice Lists, Wrappers Sacramento ‘St. Lovie Winnipeg, Man, & OChecks Olaventory Records AACR seenesensseneen . — sceeneneceemmne comicbooks.com TRADE MARK