Life, 1920-12-02 · page 17 of 97
Life — December 2, 1920 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire** — it's a straightforward product advertisement for Manning-Bowman & Co., a Connecticut manufacturer of household appliances and tableware. The page promotes electric kitchen devices as ideal Christmas gifts for homemakers: electric irons, toasters, percolators, grills, and heating pads. The illustration shows a family scene with a decorated Christmas tree, emphasizing that such practical appliances "solve many Christmas problems" by modernizing domestic work. The ad reflects 1920s-30s consumer culture, when electrified home goods were marketed as luxuries that combined utility with aesthetic appeal. The "Hotakold" vacuum bottles and serving pieces shown represent the company's full product range. This represents mainstream advertising ideology of the era: positioning labor-saving devices as desirable gifts that would improve women's domestic efficiency and home comfort.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
i JOAN an man iaven ae Electric Iron _ Se’ No. 1436 Price $8.50 Reversible : Toaster No. 1215 $8.25 to $10.00 Solves Many Christmas Problems AR Christmases taught us one good lesson—that gifts, above all, should be useful. And folks are becoming more and more in favor of practical gifts. As a present for any woman who loves her home and longs for modern conveniences—we recommend the Manning- Bowman household devices. These combine practical utility with that beauty of design and durability of finish which has always characterized the M-B products. The variety made offers a wide range of choice. There are over one hundred sizes and styles of percolators for use with electricity, alcohol or on the range, the electric iron with extra heat at the point, the electric toaster that turns the toast, the electric grill on which you can cook a whole meal at the dining table, chafing dishes, casseroles, etc., etc. Manning, Bowman & Co. manufacture the famous Hotakold Electri¢ Grill Casserole Dish line of vacuum bottles, carafes, jugs and food jars in designs No. 1400S, Senin suitable for the outdoor sportsman or for the boudoir, in col- pce Say : orings to harmonize with any furnishings. For sale at electric shops, department and hardware stores, jewelers and novelty shops. Write us for further information and Booklet E-16. MANNING, BOWMAN & CO., Meriden, Conan. J Makers of Household and Table Appointments in Nickel Plate, Tea ball Silver Plate, Copper and Aluminum a ball Teapot No, 10373 3 : Price $7.25 a Bottle, 123 LS. potties, ¢ & i Urn Set ‘4 4 } | No, 130930 Price $35.00 | i Jug Set No. 151 Price $10.25 t Jug Set, 152/13 No, 325 ee rice $21.75 Price $9.25 Jar, No. $23 Bottle, 121 Price $7.25 comicbooks.com