Life, 1919-11-13 · page 25 of 36
Life — November 13, 1919 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **product advertisement** for the Milburn Light Electric automobile, not satire or political commentary. It appears in *Life* magazine (page 831), which published both humor and advertisements. The ad promotes an electric car as practical, convenient, and economical—particularly suited for winter driving since it requires no chauffeur and starts instantly. The manufacturer claims market leadership as "the largest producer and seller of electric cars in the world." The decorative illustration at bottom shows a silhouetted figure on horseback overlooking a tiny Milburn car—a visual metaphor suggesting the car's impressive capabilities or dominance. The urgent marketing language ("tremendous demand," "to avoid disappointment on Christmas deliveries, orders should be placed now") reflects pre-holiday sales pressure, a timeless retail tactic. This represents a historical moment when **electric vehicles were serious commercial competitors** to gasoline cars, before gasoline engines dominated the market in the early 20th century.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
fr as I = A 5 LIGHT, ELECTRIC Acknowledged Leadership Public recognition of merit and quality has made Milburn the largest producer and seller of electric cars in the world. This Light Modern Electric has the two-fold desirability of practical utility and graceful beauty. It is convenient, easy to run, and economical. The Milburn Light Electric is ideal for winter driving. You are inde- pendent of a chauffeur. The car may be left standing for any length of time in cold weather and will start at once with the throw of the switch. The tremendous demand for the Milburn is taxing even our increased facilities to the utmost. To avoid disappointment on Christmas deliveries, orders should be placed now. Send for catalogue and address of the nearest Milburn dealer. Price $2485 f. 0. b. Toledo Established 1848 The Milburn Wagon Company Toledo, Ohio Automobile Division comicbooks.com