Life, 1910-01-20 · page 2 of 36
Life — January 20, 1910 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily **advertising, not satire**. It shows a Klaxon horn—a loud mechanical automobile warning device—being endorsed by President Taft for use on the White House automobile. The ad claims the Klaxon provides safety benefits: its loud noise warns pedestrians and vehicles of approach, especially useful on blind corners and steep hills. The text argues it's superior to other signaling devices and helps prevent collisions. The "appeal to authority" marketing strategy—that if the President uses it, it must be good—was common in early automotive advertising (early 1900s-1910s). The image shows well-dressed passengers in an open car, reflecting aspirational automobile ownership during this era. This is straightforward product promotion, not political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES USES THE IKLAXON ON HIS OFFICIAL WHITE STEAMER To the motorist who has not used a KLAXON, its harsh, metallic blare often seems unnecessary. But the motorist who has used one knows that no other signalling device ever used on an automobile compares with it as an insurance against collision and an aid to sustained speed, To the KLAXON user, blind crossings and hidden turns are vir- tually non-existent: his approach is heralded in ample time for unseen traffic to make way. Heavy vehicles going the same way are signalled long before they are overtaken, and turn out in season to require no slackening. On steep, winding hills a KLAXON may be the sole protection against disaster. The value of the KLAXON as a safeguard and a time-saver for the conservative motorist was never better attested than in its adoption by President Taft on the White House automobile. LOVELL-McCONNELL MFG. CO., Maautacturers THE KLAXON COMPANY, Sole Distributors for U. S. A- NEWARK, NEW JERSEY 4 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK. comicbooks.com