Life — August 5, 1920 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is an advertisement for the Mimeograph machine by A.B. Dick Company. The image shows a classical orator addressing a large crowd in what appears to be a Roman amphitheater, comparing ancient oratory to modern mass communication. The ad argues that the Mimeograph represents a new form of rhetorical power—able to distribute "hot messages" to thousands simultaneously (five thousand copies per hour). It references Demosthenes, the famous ancient Greek orator, suggesting the machine surpasses even classical eloquence through sheer efficiency and reach. The satire is gentle: comparing a mechanical duplicator to ancient rhetoric humorously emphasizes the machine's practical value to politicians, businesses, and educators seeking cost-effective mass communication—a significant concern in early 20th-century America before electronic media.