Life — November 5, 1908 — page 48: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a **Stoddard-Dayton automobile advertisement**, not a political cartoon. The page promotes the Model 9F, a 45-horsepower car priced at $2,500, manufactured by the Dayton Motor Car Company in Dayton, Ohio. The advertisement uses an allegorical female figure (likely representing Liberty or Lady Commerce) standing on a globe, holding a car lamp. The accompanying text—"One Quality for all Models" and "One Price for all Buyers"—emphasizes the manufacturer's commitment to standardized, democratic pricing and quality across their product line. This marketing approach was notable in early automotive history, when standardization and accessible pricing were competitive selling points. The classical female iconography was typical early-1900s advertising imagery.