Life, 1909-03-25 · page 2 of 36
Life — March 25, 1909 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **commercial advertisement**, not political satire. It's a full-page ad for Hartford Tires from The Hartford Rubber Works Company (Hartford, Connecticut), appearing in *Life* magazine. The ad features: - A large tire as the central image with wings (suggesting reliability/flight) - Early automobiles in the background - A well-dressed woman in period clothing (appearing to be 1910s-1920s era) pointing toward the tire - Marketing copy claiming Hartford Tires "last" longer than competitors The appeal targets experienced motorists and suggests consulting longtime drivers about tire quality. The tagline "The Tire That Lasts" emphasizes durability—the key selling point for early automotive tires, which were prone to punctures and deterioration. This is straightforward product marketing without satirical commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Every Tire, no matter how poor, has its patrons and its partisans ; but the one true Tire test 1s—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 raiority 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 L Hartford Tires do last—because they are designed right to begin with ; because y 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, : cr wrinkling, which means durability impossible in a tube vul- cna straight mandrel. Ifyou are inexperienced on Tires or dissatished 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 of 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 Jefferson Ave. CHICAGO, 12th St. and Michigan Ave. DENVER. 1564 Broadway PHILADELPHIA. Vine St. ATLANTA, GA.. 94 North Pryor St. BOSTON, 617 Boyiston St. BUFFALO, 725 Main St. CLEVELAND, 1831 Euclid Ave. comicbooks.com