Life — January 19, 1905 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is **not a political cartoon or satire** — it's a straightforward advertisement for the Decauville automobile, placed in Life magazine's January 19, 1905 issue. The ad features a line drawing of an early motorcar and promotes the French-made Decauville brand through the Standard Automobile Company in New York. It emphasizes the car's features: a "steel pan," double ignition system, and refined construction. The ad notes these models (12, 16, 20, 24-28, 30-35, and 45 horsepower variants) have been manufactured for ten years by the Société Decauville in France. The phrase "That Decauville Car" appears designed to suggest the vehicle was already well-known enough to be referenced familiarly. The ad targets wealthy purchasers considering early automobiles.