Life, 1927-06-16 · page 27 of 34
Life — June 16, 1927 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily an **advertisement**, not a political cartoon. It promotes Kodak's Ciné-Kodak movie camera to amateur filmmakers. The page emphasizes the camera's accessibility to ordinary people—"Anybody can make good motion pictures"—reflecting early 20th-century democratization of technology. The tagline "You press the button... we do the rest" echoes Kodak's famous slogan, positioning the company as removing technical barriers for consumers. The circular viewfinder image shows silhouettes of people filming, suggesting recreational home moviemaking. The smaller photos demonstrate the camera's portability and ease of use. This reflects a cultural moment when motion pictures were transitioning from professional/theatrical domain to consumer hobby. The price ($140) and emphasis on "simplicity" target middle-class Americans seeking entertainment and creative outlets—likely appealing to the Life magazine readership of the era. No political satire is present; this is straightforward consumer advertising.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life Make your own movies with a Ciné-Kodak he ne le on your Kren, Its results will delight you Its simplicity will amaze you T was the simplicity of the Kodak that created amateur photography, fostered it, maintained it. The Ciné-Kodak is grounded on the ‘‘know how’? gained by the Kodak com- pany in forty years of successfully serving the amateur picture maker. It fits the amateur requirements in motion pictures as fully as did its predecessor in making ‘‘stills,’’ It puts Kodak simplicity into the movies. The Ciné-Kodak provides every essential to the making of good pictures, with nary a bothersome non-essential. In quality it is an instrument of precision; its anastigmat lens fulfills every reasonable requirement without the bother of shifting. In operation it is as simple as a Brownie. The film finishing is done in our own laboratories at no extra charge. Anybody can make good motion pictures with a Ciné-Kodak. Pe ene ce You press the button... we do the rest held; spring pte spars ery in day Complete outfit, Ciné-Kodak B for picture taking, Koda- light with amateur standard Goals) scope C for projecting, and screen, $140. Write us or ask your an aad) lca Lor dealer for the booklet “Motion Pictures the Kodak Way.’? Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., Tie Kodak City comicbooks.com