Life, 1923-01-25 · page 29 of 36
Life — January 25, 1923 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a full-page advertisement for the Underwood Portable typewriter, not political satire. The dramatic illustration depicts a figure at a desk with an imaginative scene above—appearing to show flying figures or "winged words"—visualizing the advertisement's central concept. The ad's metaphorical claim is that typed words are "winged words"—they travel farther and faster than handwritten ones. The copy positions typewritten communication as essential across all life domains: education, work, and social activities. The phrase "Typed Words Are Winged Words" serves as the central marketing message. The $50 price point and portability are emphasized as advantages for widespread accessibility. The visual metaphor of flight suggests speed, efficiency, and the liberation that mechanical typing offers compared to manual writing. This reflects early 20th-century enthusiasm for technological progress and mass communication.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
TYPED WORDS ARE WINGED WORDS! Iw the building of the bridge, words—surely as steel—have their part. In every field of life—the boy’s study, the man’s work, the woman's social activities—words as a leading réle. Let them be wingéd words—typed on: thes respon- sive keys of the Underwood Portable. Then they PRICE $50 im the United States. The Portable is obtainable at Underwood offices in’ all. prin- cipal cities, or direct by mail. Cased: Weight 9% lbs. eee © UNDERWOOD TYPEWRITE! are words easily written and pleasurably read— words that are forceful, accurate and clear. Because it is built by the makers of the world’s StandardTypewriter; because itembodies features that are exclusively Underwood, this Portable makes it possible for anyone to do Underwood Typewriting anywhere. * "Send for “ Giving Wings to Words” an illustrated booklet fully describing the features of the Underwood Standard Portable “The Machine You Will Eventually Cary.” OMPANY, INC. UNDERWOOD BUILDING, N.Y, UNDERWOOD PORTABLE comicbooks.com