Life, 1912-01-04 · page 87 of 108
Life — January 4, 1912 — page 87: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Premier Motor Company advertisement**, not political satire. The page showcases an "Ocean to Ocean Tour" completed by 12 Premier automobiles—described as establishing a world record for a cross-country journey. The advertisement emphasizes that wealthy businessmen, professionals, society figures, and manufacturers successfully drove their families across difficult American terrain including Rocky Mountain ranges and deserts (Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada). The underlying marketing message is straightforward: if Premier cars can handle this extreme transcontinental journey with society's elite passengers and their families, they are reliable, high-quality vehicles worth purchasing. This is **aspirational advertising**—associating the brand with wealth, adventure, and achievement rather than political commentary or satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
IC TO PACIFIC ns were climbed; seven great rivers crossed; the practically trackless wastes of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada, the great American deserts, hundreds of lifeless miles, yet these bankers, professional men, men of socicty, manufacturers and . all wealthy Premier owners, did not hesitate to enter these wastes with their wives and famili