Life — September 2, 1909 — page 29: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is an advertisement for the "30" Locomobile automobile, not a political cartoon. The page promotes the 1910 model with "30 Shaft Drive" and "40 Chain Drive" options, manufactured by The Locomobile Co. of America in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The image shows an early motorcar traveling down a tree-lined country road with two passengers wearing period driving attire (dusters and hats). The advertisement lists sales offices in major American cities: New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. This represents early automotive marketing targeting wealthy consumers during the automobile's early commercial era, before mass production made cars commonplace. The emphasis on the road trip and leisurely driving reflects how automobiles were then luxury recreational goods rather than practical transportation.