Life — September 6, 1929 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is a **Mimeograph machine advertisement**, not political satire. The page uses the term "WIGWAGGING" (a reference to signal-flag communication) as a metaphor for spreading messages widely. The ad promotes the Mimeograph as an economical, efficient copying device for businesses and educational institutions. It claims the machine can rapidly produce "hundreds or thousands of exact duplicates" from a stencil without requiring trained operators. The image shows the device itself—a mechanical duplicator with a rotating cylinder. The advertisement targets institutional buyers by emphasizing cost-effectiveness and ease of use, positioning the Mimeograph as "one of the world's great economists." Contact information directs readers to A.B. Dick Company in Chicago. This represents early 20th-century office technology marketing.