Life — October 21, 1920 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is primarily an **advertisement for the Mimeograph machine** by A.B. Dick Company, not political satire. The text promotes the device's efficiency: it can produce 5,000 copies hourly at negligible cost, making it ideal for distributing messages to large audiences. The illustration shows **birds in flight**, likely symbolizing speed and message-delivery—a visual metaphor playing on the phrase "put wings to your ideas" in the copy. The bird imagery suggests swift, effortless communication, which was the Mimeograph's selling point. This reflects early 20th-century American business culture, where new duplicating technology was celebrated as revolutionary for institutions seeking cost-effective mass communication. There is no political cartoon or satire present—this is straightforward product marketing.