Life — November 24, 1921 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is primarily **advertising, not satire or political commentary**. It's a A.B. Dick Company advertisement for the Mimeograph copying machine. The ad's headline—"How many clock ticks are yours?"—uses time as a metaphor for value. The message claims the Mimeograph saves institutions money and labor by enabling fast, inexpensive duplication of documents. The ad promises it can produce "forty and more thousand a day" without requiring skilled setup. The decorative engraved illustration shows an interior scene with flowers and what appears to be office or domestic furnishings, meant to convey quality and respectability. The ornamental border styling suggests this is from the early 20th century, when such decorative advertising was standard. This reflects the period's emphasis on efficiency and industrial mechanization as progress.