Life, 1923-05-31 · page 2 of 37
Life — May 31, 1923 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily an **advertisement for the Underwood Portable Typewriter**, not a political cartoon. The main image depicts a dramatic, atmospheric scene—appearing to show figures in an underground cavern or tomb (titled "Egypt in the Valley of the Kings" by the artist Arzag)—used as evocative marketing imagery. The advertisement's pitch targets travelers: it encourages tourists to document their journeys by typewriter rather than by hand. The copy emphasizes the machine's portability, durability, and ease of use for recording "impressions" and "glories" while traveling to exotic destinations like Niagara or the Nile. The price is listed as $50. This represents early 20th-century consumer advertising leveraging wanderlust and the appeal of modern technology for leisure travelers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
From Distant Lands—Send Back Winged Words! How will you write to your family and friends about the pleasures of your trip? How will you record your impressions for reminiscence in after years? In words slowly and laboriously written— Or in vivid words, packed with enthusiasm; colorful words, reflecting the glories around you; clear, fluent words, typed on the swift keys of the Underwood Portable! Whether you voyage to Niagara or to the Nile, the Underwood Portable will heighten your enjoyment; both in the present and in the future. The Underwood Portable is light, sturdy, simple to operate, staunchly cased. In every detail of its appearance and construc- tion it reflects the experience of the largest typewriter manufacturer in the world. UNDERWOOD TYPEWRITER CO., INC., UNDERWOOD BUILDING, NEW YORK PRICE $50 in the United States. The Portable is obtainable at Underwood offices in all principal cities, or direct by mail. Cased: Weight 9% lbs. Height 4% inches, Send for “GivingW ings to Words” an illustrated booklet fully describing the features of the Underwood Standard Portable “The Machine You Will Eventually Carry.” comicbooks.com EGyPrt— in the Valley of the Kings. by Avinoff.