Life, 1928-12-14 · page 46 of 48
Life — December 14, 1928 — page 46: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **radio advertisement**, not political satire. The page promotes Kolster brand radios, specifically the Model K20 priced at $135. The decorative illustration showing a figure at the top right depicts **Commander Byrd**, the famous polar explorer, whose name appears in the advertisement text. The ad uses Byrd's endorsement as a marketing strategy—claiming he selected Kolster Radio and compasses "exclusively" for his South Pole expedition as proof of the product's reliability and quality. This was a common 1920s advertising tactic: leveraging celebrity or authority endorsements to build consumer confidence. The text emphasizes that satisfied customers repeatedly call it "a fine set," positioning Kolster as a premium choice for discerning buyers. The page also mentions a **weekly radio program** broadcast Wednesdays at 10 P.M. over the Columbia network, using broadcast programming itself as promotional content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MODEL K20 SLB5.2°0 @ The ever-increasing demand for Kolster Radio is mainly due to those people of keen judgment who do not make their buying decisions without consulting experience. @ For whenever owners of Kolster Radios or friends of Kolster owners mention radio, they invariably say “Kolster is a fine set”. COMMANDER Byrp ‘selected Kolster Radio and Kolster Radio Compasses exclusively for his South Pole expedition. @ What finer tribute could be gi 1o- Kolster dependab: That remark is made thousands of times daily. @ Pictured above is Kolster Model K20, 6 tubes, for A. C. electric operation with Model \6 Kolster synchronous type reproducer. @ Price, less tubes and reproducer, $135. Reproducer, $35. @ Kolster offers distinctive models at a wide range of prices. KOLSTER RADIO Enjoy the Kolster Program every Wednesday evening at 10 P. M. Eastern Standard Time over the nation-wide Columbia Chain. x Ss _ Ter 4 eek) |e ‘TWE DE VINNE-RALLENBCCK COMPANT, INC. PIDNTERS NEW YORK Copyright by Kolster Redio Corporation, 1923 comicbooks.com