Life — October 13, 1921 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is **not a political cartoon or satire page**—it's a straightforward advertisement for the Mimeograph machine, made by A.B. Dick Company of Chicago and New York. The page features a photograph of the machine's internal mechanisms (the "whirring wheels" mentioned) displayed in an ornate oval frame typical of 1920s design. The copy emphasizes the machine's practical business value: it could produce 5,000 clean copies per hour at minimal cost, making it economical for "industrial and educational institutions." The ad promises significant dollar savings and references a booklet ("W-10") for interested parties. This represents routine commercial advertising from Life magazine's era, not editorial content or satire.