Life, 1909-03-04 · page 43 of 44
Life — March 4, 1909 — page 43: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **full-page tire advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. The image shows a well-dressed woman in early 1900s attire pointing toward Hartford automobile tires displayed with winged imagery and vintage cars. The advertisement's pitch targets motorists through testimonial marketing: find experienced drivers who've tested multiple tire brands over years of use, and they'll recommend Hartford. The copy emphasizes technical superiority—Sea Island Cotton fabric, pure Para rubber cushioning, and precise manufacturing—as proof that "Hartford Tires do last." The winged logo and classical imagery suggest durability and reliability. The well-dressed female figure was a common advertising device of the era to convey respectability and aspirational lifestyle. This represents early automotive-era marketing before modern consumer testing, relying instead on word-of-mouth endorsement from established motorists as credibility.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
d nature dierent rank the in boné, 1y other whiskey stand ry it. ns to get r genuine t for you e and we ) ind com request, Co., 1 or Bldg In order Every Tire, no matter how poor, has its patrons and its partisans ; but the one true Tire test is—time and travel. Find, among your friends, the old and experienced motorists—men who have driven cars for four, five or six years; and tried, perhaps, every prominent Tire produced. In the majority of cases you'll find them committed beyond the possibility of change to HARTFORD TIRES “THE TIRES THAT LAST” There's a definite, concrete reason for this— partially expressed in the phrase, “The Tire That Lasts.” Hartford Tires do last—because they are designed right to begin with ; because the heavy tread is compounded exactly right; because the fabric is specially woven Sea Island Cotton; because the cushion is absolutely pure Para; because Hartford Inner Tubes are made to fit without folding, straining, or wrinkling, which means durability impossible in a tube vul- canized on a straight mandrel. If you are inexperienced on Tires or dissatisfied with your experience, consult those who have driven long and hard—almost inevitably they will direct you to the Hartford Tire—the Tire that lasts. Ask for Hartford Clincher Tires and Tubes on your new car or try a set the next time you renew We endorse and recommend all automobilists to equip their car with Standard Universal Quick Detachable Rims, THE HARTFORD RUBBER WORKS COMPANY HARTFORD, CONN. BRANCHES: NEW YORK, 57th St. and Broadway —_— DETROIT, 256 Jeiterson Ave. CHICAGO, 12th St. and Michigan Ave. DENVER, 1564 Broadway PHILADELPHIA, 1425 Vine St. ATLANTA, GA., 94 North Pryor St. BOSTON, 817 Boylston St. BUFFALO, 725 Main St. CLEVELAND, 1831 Euclid Ave. comicbooks.com