Life, 1901-10-17 · page 19 of 20
Life — October 17, 1901 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **full-page advertisement** for the New York Belting & Packing Co.'s automobile tire, not political satire. The image depicts an allegorical female figure (likely representing reliability or progress) in a chariot pulled by two oversized tires, riding through clouds. A clock face showing tire cross-section appears above. The ad's appeal is straightforward: the tire eliminates travel "delays, discomforts, annoyances" for business and pleasure journeys. The fantastical imagery—goddess-like woman, cloud setting—presents tire ownership as transcendent, almost magical reliability. This reflects early automotive culture when tires were still novel and prone to failure. The "clock face" detail highlights engineering precision as a selling point. The ad lists multiple store locations, emphasizing the company's established presence across major American cities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Devs, discomforts, annoyances eliminated. Long or short journeys on business or pleasure anticipated without anxiety and accomplished without mishap, when equipped with THE LONG DISTANCE TIRE. It is the most reliable tire on the market—no other gives such satisfying service. Constructed on a simple, sensible principle. The clock face shows a cross-section of the tire. Have your dealer or manufacturer of carriage or automobile put it on your vehicle—or write to us for it or about it. NEW YORK BELTING & PAGIGNG | Co., ita. STORES: 2 Park Place R oe ee + 150 Lake Street 2 N Meridian Street ait North Third Street PL ee e % et | BALTIMOR! Poros oh tot ot Aa Hopkins Pace 1, - 6 ss ew ew 11 Market Street comicbooks.com