Life, 1923-10-11 · page 4 of 36
Life — October 11, 1923 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **commercial advertisement** for the Mimeograph machine, not political satire. The page appears in *Life* magazine's advertising section. The advertisement uses a dramatic illustration of **lightning bolts and an airplane** to metaphorically compare the Mimeograph's speed to "the fastest thing in the world"—the electron and speed of light. The pitch emphasizes **labor-saving efficiency**: the machine can produce 5,000 copies quickly without special skill, targeting businesses and schools. The ad argues this "greater speed" saves "substantial time and money." The cartoon elements are purely illustrative marketing devices, not social commentary. This reflects early-20th-century advertising's embrace of technological progress as a selling point, appealing to readers' desire for modern efficiency.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The fastest thing in the world is the electron—and the Mimeo- graph is strikingly akin thereto The speed of light is the ultimate speed. Nothing can ever travel faster than that—not even hu- man thought. But there are few things me- chanical that do a complete job, and a good job, so quickly as does the Mimeograph. Speed! The world is ten thousand times richer today than it was before it knew how to use speed skilfully. And certain it is that those who use it best are best served. Five thousand well printed copies of a letter, bulletin, drawing or form is the remarkable hourly grist of the speedy Mimeograph. A private, personal duplicating plant! And only a few minutes—and no especial skill—are necessary for the simple work of preparation. Fast! Let us make it clear to you how this sort of greater speed can save substantial time and a great deal of money for you—right now. | What can this greater speed do for our business—our school? We ask the + , A.B. Dick Company, Chicago, to send us booklet “W-10” without obligation. | Name | Street. comicbooks.com