Life — December 9, 1909 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is **primarily an advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. The Hartford Rubber Works Company is marketing their "Wire Grip Non-Skid" tires (Midgley Patent). The central illustration shows a car skidding dangerously on a wet street while pedestrians scatter—this is the "object lesson" promised in the headline. The ad argues that standard smooth tires cannot grip wet pavement safely, whereas Hartford's embedded steel wire coils provide traction "like cat's claws." The page uses dramatic imagery of near-disaster to sell safety through superior tire design. This reflects early automotive-era concerns about road safety and tire technology. The many branch locations listed indicate Hartford was a major national tire manufacturer of this period.