Life, 1927-04-07 · page 36 of 59
Life — April 7, 1927 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising and product promotion**, not political satire. It showcases the Sesamee combination lock, a keyless locking mechanism. The humorous essay by Robert Benchley (a well-known humorist of the era) opens by satirizing "the Man who has lost his Key"—a universal figure of comedy. Benchley jokes about the awkward situations created by lost keys: standing in the rain patting pockets, fumbling with wrong keys, or searching frantically in gym locker rooms in one's underwear. The advertisement promotes the Sesamee lock's practical advantages: combination-based rather than key-dependent, with customizable codes (using birthdates, addresses, or other memorable numbers). The lock could be applied to trunks, luggage, padlocks, and notably, automobiles. There is **no political content**. This is straightforward commercial promotion dressed in entertaining editorial writing—typical of Life magazine's blend of humor and advertising in this period. The "satire" targets only human forgetfulness and inconvenience, not social or political issues.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘WARREN LUGGAGE The Warren Leather Goods Company has attained a position of recognized m- portance in the manufacture of luggage due to rigidly maintained st material and skilled workmansh: WINSHIP TRUNKS The name of Winship has long been ofe to conjure with in the field of better trunks. And it is theretore but natural that they should have been among the first to recognize the out trunk with doors” slong with several other numbers of their beautitul line, with this convenient and sateguarding lock. ‘WHEARY TRUNKS The Wardrola—that idea! of perfection In the Interesting collection of Wheary trunke—hes been equipped withthe Seeamee Lock. Endorsement by the man- ufseturers of a trunk of this type ‘only an expression of confidence oF part In the lock itselt, but is indicath thelr almto give the public the latest and best In trunk refinement. time with eon hand luggage which hi ently identifi e choice of the over $0 years. The adoption of 8 Locks is additional proof of the progress- ive policies that have made Warren Luggege deservedly popular. SESAMEE Loch for this distinguished logs 1s logical as it was inevitedi The Modern Lock That Needs No Key ‘HE introduction of the Sesamee lock marks the passing of one of the world’s most ridic- vlous figures—the Man who has lost bis Key. We shall rather miss seeing bim standing in front of his door in the rain and patting his vest-pockets like a penguin, or trying to pick his way into his trunk with a bunch of wrong keys the size of the warden’s at Sing Sing. Ir will seem funny not to hear his curses ringing out on the night air when he discovers that, owing to having changed his trousers, he can’t start his car, or to see him running frantically around the locker-room in his natty shorts half an hour after dinner-time because his other clothes are in his locker with the key in the pocket of his vest. THE SESAMEE PADLOCK mee Lock has no happler expression than TnSeah the mediam ot the time honored padlock. The tiple uses of the Sesamee Padlock are too numerou! entlon be mr a diock that can ‘open without =a combination that can be changed with the utmost uch a padlock approximates the ideal. It istrely rt, in every sense of the word. By ROBERT BENCHLEY ‘The Sesamee lock is a combination lock similar in appearance to any ordinary lock, except that in place of a keyhole there are three little wheels protruding slightly through the plate. These wheels are marked with numbers from oto g which can be turned in either direction. At the time the lock is purchased, these wheels are all set at the combination 0-0-0.* The combination is formed by merely pressing a small button at the back of the lock and turning the wheels to the three numbers you select for your combination—any combination easy to remember, such as your street address, the date of your birth, or the number of teeth in your upper and lower jaws. When this is done, you have a lock which will MOTOR CARS Mt {9 understood that the manufecterer of one of will shortly announce standard equipment 1d It will be but the fore tin the automotive industry—because the many gee of this lock rectically assure its universal adoption. Sesamee ocks will be used in place of the key lochs bec: they enable the owner to operate his own secret com- bination in locking and unlocking the ignition, trans- mission, spare tires. tools, ete, thus inconvenience and annoyance ‘This company lethe largest ma: open or close instantly by merely turning the wheels in and out of your secret combination, You can have the same combination for your car, your desk and files, your golf-bag and the place where you keep whatever contraband goods you may own. This will do away with that great bunch of keys which always drops out when you hang up your trousers, in itself a saving of ner- vous energy. And you will have no more trouble with working a Sesamee® than Ali Baba bad with the original—which was no trouble at all. *OPEN SESAME—“she 4 the Ferny RAND KARDEX BUREAU, INC. rer of office equip et ment in the world, consisting of Rand Kardex, Library Bureau, and Safe Cabinet divisions. Their products made efficient office administration possible, comicbooks.com