Life — January 6, 1910 — page 63: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is an advertisement page for the Locomotile automobile, not a political cartoon. The page features a photograph of an early motorcar (the "30" Locomotile) driving down a tree-lined country road with passengers holding parasols. The image emphasizes leisure and genteel travel. The Locomotile Co. of America lists multiple offices (New York, Bridgeport, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Chicago), suggesting it was a major manufacturer. The "licensed under the Selden patents" notation indicates this relates to early automotive patent disputes. For modern readers: this represents early automotive advertising targeting affluent consumers, emphasizing recreational driving and refined leisure travel—a novelty when automobiles were luxury goods.