Life, 1929-04-05 · page 5 of 56
Life — April 5, 1929 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Kolster Radio advertisement**, not political satire. The page shows two men in conversation—appearing to be neighbors—to illustrate the tagline "The radio sold by neighbors!" The ad's pitch: Kolster radios achieve success through word-of-mouth recommendations. The text emphasizes that neighbors' personal endorsements ("Kolster is a fine set") drive sales more effectively than formal advertising. The ad notes that Dr. Frederick A. Kolster, the inventor, designed sets for "dependability," and promotes a Wednesday evening radio program on the Columbia Chain network. This reflects early 1920s marketing strategy: leveraging social trust and community recommendation to sell consumer electronics during radio's rapid adoption period. The illustration style and gentle humor are typical of Life magazine's advertising approach.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The radio sold by neighbors! Any hour of any day in any com- munity you may hear neighbors talking radio, And frankly! They don’t mince matters. Praise or blame comes from experience, from the heart. Such conversations are directly responsible for Kolster Radio’s success. Such conversations coined the expression, “Kolster is a fine set.” And that is as it should be. Be- cause the makers of Kolster Radio recognized from the first that the set that was recommended by neighbors would be bought by neighbors ... and so determined to build always in a way that would deserve every owner’s rec- ommendation. Make a point of hearing your neighbor’s Kolster. And then visit the nearest Kolster dealer. He will be glad to arrange a demon- stration in your own home. — Saved at Sea! Thousands of lives have been saved at sea through the use of the Kolster Radio Compass. Dr. Frederick A. Kolster, its inventor, is also the de- signer of Kolster Radio receiving sets. What finer tribute could be given to Kolster dependability? Enjoy the Kolster Program every Wed- nesday evening at 10 P. M., Eastern Standard Time, over the nation-wide Columbia Chain. KOLSTER RADIO Copyright by Kolster Radio Corporation, 1929 comicbooks.com