Life — November 10, 1910 — page 31: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a **product advertisement**, not a cartoon or satire. It promotes Michelin "Semelle" Anti-Skids—tire chains or tread overlays designed to prevent vehicle skidding on wet or slippery pavement. The page shows a schematic diagram of a car viewed from above with four wheels. Text callouts explain that two types of anti-skid products work together: rubber tread tires for grip on hard pavement, and steel-studded leather tread for preventing skids on wet surfaces. The advertisement emphasizes that only two anti-skids are needed (likely for the rear wheels), making this solution "the most practical combination." This reflects early 20th-century automobile safety concerns when road conditions and tire technology were primitive. The ad directs readers to look for Michelin's sign at garages and suggests keeping removed rubber tires as spares.