Life, 1910-10-06 · page 59 of 60
Life — October 6, 1910 — page 59: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**, but rather a straightforward **automobile advertisement** from Life magazine (likely early 1900s based on vehicle design). The illustration shows a wealthy man and woman in an open-air Stearns motorcar, with admirers watching from a street corner—a common advertising trope depicting automobiles as status symbols. The accompanying text emphasizes 14 years of manufacturing success and claims about quality, reliability, and engineering superiority. The sole "narrative" element is the implicit message: Stearns cars represent the pinnacle of automotive construction, combining power, efficiency, and comfort. The reference to holding "World's 24-hour race record—1253 miles" serves as proof of durability and performance. This is product promotion, not editorial content or satire. Life magazine mixed advertising and editorial material throughout its pages.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ama a i parse Prensmessev a a, Moutreal, Leicester, Ue: Factories: Boston, Fourteen Years of Unbroken Success For fourteen years Stearns motor cars have been before the American public, and those fourteen years have been one long record of splendid success. The Stearns today represents the highest type of auto- mobile construction, The fourteen years of study, design and experience back of the Stearns, have taught us what is right and what is wrong, and the purchaser receives the benefit of that teaching. Experience has taught us that it is possible to build cars good for five and six years continuous use under all con- ditions of service. It has taught us the great need for 30-60 h. p. touring car $4,600.00 30-60 H. P. Shaft or Chain Drive vee The F. B. Stearns Company (Licensed under Selden Patent) sturdiness and power, for a high standard of efficiency, for ability to meet every possible emergency. It has taught us that a motor car must possess all these qualities, yet com- bine them with silence, ease of operation and comfort. It has taught us how to produce such a car—a car that offers every desirable quality, yet climinates those unworthy features so common to motor car construction. It has taught us how to offer the public an automobile more nearly approaching the ideal than any yet produced. We have told the story of Stearns success in the current catalog—it is mailed to any address upon request. 15-30 h. p. touring car $3,200.00 (Vestibule or open touring body optional) 15.30 H. P. Model Shaft Drive CLEVELAND, OHIO Pacific Coast Distributing Office, 1651 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco World’s 24-hour race record—1253 miles—held by 30-60 h. p. Stearns