Life, 1929-05-03 · page 3 of 44
Life — May 3, 1929 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Kolster Radio Advertisement This is primarily a **Kolster Radio advertisement**, not political satire. The page promotes Kolster brand radios through a domestic scene showing a well-dressed man demonstrating a radio set to a woman. The "home-made slogan" reference indicates that word-of-mouth marketing was crucial—families discussed radios before purchasing. The advertisement emphasizes that Kolster radios were popular enough to become conversational topics in communities nationwide. The text mentions Dr. Frederick A. Kolster as the inventor and designer. The ad highlights that "thousands of lives have been saved at sea" through Kolster radio technology, appealing to both practical utility and social responsibility. The program airs Wednesday evenings on Columbia's radio chain. This is essentially 1920s consumer marketing leveraging radio's novelty and perceived prestige.