Life — September 18, 1919 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Page Analysis This page is primarily an advertisement for the Mimeograph machine and its proprietary ink, published by A.B. Dick Company of Chicago and New York. The ad uses an "Ink!" headline and compares mimeograph ink to the carefully guarded secrets of Damascus blade-making—implying exclusivity and superiority. The circular illustration shows the mimeographic process in action. The text claims their ink took "thirty years" to develop and is essential to the mimeographing process, which could duplicate documents at "five thousand finely printed copies an hour." The ad emphasizes that excellence "depends largely upon the ink" and urges readers to request booklet "W." This is a straightforward business advertisement rather than political satire. It appeared in Life magazine, which mixed editorial content with advertising.