Life, 1921-01-13 · page 29 of 36
Life — January 13, 1921 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **full-page advertisement**, not a political cartoon. The page advertises the Addressograph, a mechanical mail-addressing machine marketed to businesses. The illustration shows a businessman operating the device while reviewing business correspondence, with the tagline "Goes After Business and Gets It!" The advertisement uses a Depression-era sales pitch: businesses are desperate for orders, and this machine enables mass personalized mailing campaigns efficiently. The accompanying letter from Chain Belt Company serves as a testimonial, claiming the Addressograph increased their sales through targeted direct mail. The satirical element is minimal—the humor lies in the exaggerated promise that this machine is the solution to business struggles ("Fretting won't get it. But this short-cut WILL!"). The "almost human" automatic selector reflects period optimism about labor-saving automation. This reflects 1920s-30s business culture emphasizing mechanical efficiency and direct mail marketing as growth strategies.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Goes After Business and Gets It! HENRY SONNEBORN 6 com saiene Clip and Mail With Your Letter Head Place Check Mark in Square WOWithout cost or obligation send i} me your typewriter-size Addresso- graph for 10-day ‘free trial—30 trom my list inclosed. out cost or obligation, send liter ure telling how concerns in ne of business profit with the Adare ssograph. OTell ns a few companies in our locality who use the Addresso- _$raph and how. OHave sales representative call. ~ re eee nine tne ee — Caran BisrasC IN VANY Addroeeozraph Conpany, 901 Buren Street, Chicago, Contlenon: Direct Advort thie lic rapidly. Illinois. Yot the ¢ increase itl. caee’- economy - - ~ = = that ni Direct Very truly yours, —As FREE TRIAL of Hand-Operated Addressograph PROVES! Today you need business. Fret- ting won't get it. cut WILL! Thousands of concerns, large and small, profit with Addressographs— There’s the Chain Belt Co.!| They make labor saving equipment and so more readily appreciate this great labor saver! Their high speed Addressograph per- mits capitalizing on “overnight” sell- ing opportunities. Personally addressing letters and circulars that help their sales- men get more orders in less time—gets iste pe you were oversold! But this short- 917 W. Van Boren St. CHICAGO CANADIAN HEAD OFFICE-—70 Bay St, TORONTO orders direct, saving expensive personal trips to out-of-the way places. * Almost human utomatic Selector enables you to concentrate your adver- tising by lines of business, territories, buying power or sex! Duplicate files unnecessary. Automatic Selector Ad- dressograph prints or skips names as desired without any effort on part of operator. If you want to get business, go after it the Addressograph w: A ten FREE TRIAL of typewriter size, ri bon print Addressograph will convince you! Write tod: 743 Broadway NEW YORK Ottawa Winnipes comicbooks.com